


Paper Cups

by fezwearingjellybananas



Series: Milk and Sugar 'verse [7]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Minor Legends of Tomorrow, Minor Linda Park/Wally West, Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-04-24 03:23:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 58,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19164823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fezwearingjellybananas/pseuds/fezwearingjellybananas
Summary: An unknown force is creating more meta-humans, leaving husks in their wake, and that means Team Labs is back with their mystery-solving, crime-fighting hats on, ready to put a stop to this "Alchemy". Also, there's time travel. Boy, does time travel cause problems.(Part 7/12)





	1. Barry's Friend From The Blog

Wally was running through the city, lightning trailing after him. Hawkgirl and Atom were within his sight.

He tossed a bolt of yellow lightning at the shadow demons.

The skies were red above him.

"We can't stop it!" Kendra yelled.

"But we might be able to," Barry said, falling into step at Wally's side, like they'd done a thousand times before. "Vibe sent a message, he, Charmer, and Reverb are trying to stabilise what's left off the multiverse, Booster, Goldstar, Rip, and Miranda are trying to put the timeline right, the others can handle the Society of Supervillains, but we're runnig out of time, Wally."

"What do we have to do?"

"The Anti-Monitor's cannon, he's using it to collect antimatter, it's what's destroying universes. We have to destroy it."

"Can we?"

"I think so. But I don't know what will happen to us."

"If we don't try, everyone will die."

"Jay's distracting Eobard, we have to go."

Lightning crackled, and Wally ran. Barry circled the Anti-Monitor's cannon next to him, the two of them side by side, running and running-

Eobard tackled Wally to the ground and Wally threw him aside. He had to get to Barry, had to get to Barry-

Barry was fading.

"Barry!" Wally yelled. "Barry, stop, let me!"

"We already lost Kara, Wally, I'm not losing you too."

"Barry!"

Eobard raced past Wally.

"Grampa, look out!"

Barry vanished. The explosion threw everyone to the ground.

Wally bolted upright. He was still in his room, alone, no Thawne, no Kendra, no Jay.

A knock came from his door.

"Yeah?" Wally asked.

Barry opened it.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Wally said. "Just a nightmare."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing."

"You've been through a lot. First losing your mother, then what happened with Zoom, it's natural you would have a reaction to that."

"That was months ago."

"Still."

"It's not that, Barry."

"Oh. Okay. If you change your mind."

"I know. What are you doing here? You don't live here anymore."

"I know," Barry said. "I just got this feeling I needed to find you."

"Cisco? He could have vibed me then sent me you."

"Maybe." Barry didn't seem convinced. "You should get some more sleep."

"Yeah. Thanks, Barry."

* * *

Red skies had clearly come from the newspaper in the Time Vault. But no one had checked that in months, it didn't make sense for Wally to start having nightmares about that now. Ray, Kendra, and Eobard Thawne being there must have been from the newspaper too. Maybe him being a Flash was because he'd been hit by the second accelerator explosion, but Caitlin had checked Wally for the Speed Force and hadn't found anything.

He had no idea who Charmer, Kara, Booster, Goldstar, and the Anti-Monitor were.

It was probably just nonsense he shouldn't dwell on.

But there was something.

"Earth-1 to Wally," Cisco said. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing," Wally said. "Did you vibe me last night?"

"Not that I remember, but I vibe a lot while I'm asleep. Why?"

"Doesn't matter."

"You're acting weird."

"I didn't sleep well."

At least that was the truth.

* * *

It was a few days after Wally's dream that Barry collapsed into the chair in the Cortex next to Wally. He'd already changed out of his suit.

Cisco and Hartley jumped in through a breach.

"Kyle Nimbus is back in Iron Heights," Cisco said. He high-fived Barry.

"Unless Lisa breaks him out again," Wally said.

"Can Lisa break in?" Lily asked. "I thought Cisco and Hartley gave C.C.P.D. those suggestions?"

"The whole meta wing has dampeners now," Hartley said. "But that's because of Zoom and Reverse Flash, not Lisa."

"And she did team up with Shawna Baez over the summer," Caitlin said. "And they broke out of the way to Iron Heights. Her brother tried to get Nimbus to join his Rogues."

"Snart's Seven went down the drain almost immediately, even Captain Cold admitted that," Cisco said. "No way would Lisa try and persuade the Mist to join her and Shawna's criminal escapades."

"You're wearing short sleeves," Lily said. Barry blinked. "I just noticed. You never wear short sleeves."

"Yeah," Barry said. "I'm trying to be less self-conscious about my scars. They're a reminder of the accident, sure, but that gave me superpowers and overall was a good thing, so I'm trying to connect them to that instead of nine months in a coma deliberately orchestrated by the man who murdered my mother. And they are a part of me that demonstrates I have lived a life, and in this case, was given a gift, so they are not ugly. They're only little, the blotches don't start till further up, and they're not huge great things."

"So, Doctor Finkel is helping," Cisco said.

"My arms are a mess," Barry said. "I had to put a cardigan on in Jitters because it felt like everyone was staring."

"Things like that take time. And you're a superhero, so who even cares what they think."

"Thanks, Cisco."

"Where'd you breach to this time?" Wally asked.

"Earth-2 S.T.A.R. Labs," Cisco said. "I think Harry might be getting a little frustrated with me using his office as a point b, I really need to work on interdimensional portals. It'll be faster too."

"Last time you tried, you nearly had a stroke," Hartley said.

"That's exactly why I need more practise. It'll be fine, Hart. I'll make sure Caitlin and Eddie are around when I try."

"Yes," Caitlin said. "You will."

"He'll be up later," Barry said. "I have to get back to work before Julian thinks I'm bunking off again."

"He's not that bad," Wally said.

"I know why Captain Singh needs him. It helps with work, especially with these husks that keep turning up, and it prevents a conflict of interest if Julian handles meta cases, even if no one knows I'm the Flash. But I don't like him. I really do need to go though, Joe gave me an excuse, but he'll still bring it up."

Barry shot off again.

"So," Lily said. "Any other criminals running around Central today?"

* * *

The Speed Lab had been their summer project at S.T.A.R. Labs. Barry didn't mind running to Ferris Air to train, especially not with the nice weather they'd had over the summer, but there was still the chance someone would notice he was up there a lot. Or they'd see the S.T.A.R. Labs van up there and make the link between them and the Flash, which could lead to someone working out his identity.

Also, this way Caitlin could keep an eye on Barry and Cisco. It seemed likelier that if they were inside S.T.A.R. Labs they wouldn't try something stupid, like water-skiing at quarter of the speed of sound, or testing how high Barry could fly (at least that time there weren't major injuries, Barry only got to a metre then panicked and crashed back down). Or if they did, say, see what would happen if Barry ran at the speed of sound then skidded on his socks (he hit a wall and broke his nose), or see if Cisco could fly by aiming his blasts at the ground and jumping (no), Caitlin was on hand to patch them up and call them idiots.

Hartley was also very worried about Cisco's continued determination to breach within the same universe. He'd asked Caitlin, Eddie, and Henry to stay close, just in case.

Which meant it turned into everyone down in the Speed Lab, complete with Iris and Linda's impromptu pizza delivery.

"Maybe it's impossible," Linda said.

"This is Central, impossible is normal for this city," Cisco said. "Remember Barry's stress over Bette's powers?"

"Every reaction has activation energy," Barry said. "Even exothermic reactions need you to put energy in to start the reaction, that's just how-"

"Barry," Wally's dad said. "You've travelled in time."

"But thermodynamics."

"I know," Lily said. She patted Barry's arm. "I know."

"Now," Cisco said. "Let's just-" An alarm bleeped. "Now what?"

"What's that?" Linda asked.

"The front door," Hartley said. "Someone's trying to get in."

"Not again," Iris said.

"I've got it," Barry said. He raced upstairs, then reappeared a few seconds later in his suit, cowl up, with a tall guy.

"Woah," he said. "Great, you're already here."

"Nate?" Iris asked.

"Hi Iris."

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you. Well, I was going to ask you if you could get in touch with the Flash, but I don't think I need to now."

"Iris?" Wally's dad asked.

"Everyone, this is Doctor Nathaniel Heywood, Nate, this is Caitlin, Wally, my dad, Cisco, Hartley, Lily, Eddie, Laurel, Linda, and Henry."

"Hi," Nate said. "Where's- Oh man. Seriously?"

"Probably shouldn't have run you in here, huh?" Barry asked. He pulled down his cowl. "Hey, Nate."

"You're the Flash. That make sense."

"I'm still lost," Cisco said.

"Nate's an old friend," Barry said.

"You have other friends?" Hartley asked. "Why haven't we been introduced?"

"I've mentioned Nate before."

"You have?" Lily asked.

"The historian?"

"Doesn't ring a bell."

"Nate who sends me Batwoman articles," Barry sighed.

"Oh, that Nate, from your conspiracy theory blog."

"It was more looking for the paranormal and other mysteries," Barry said. "And everyone does stupid stuff when they're young, it was just a blog."

"Barry, you were reading an article claiming aliens landed in the fifties last week," Iris said.

"I have literally travelled to a different universe and met an alien, I just wanted to see if she existed in this universe too," Barry said. "Nate, what are you doing here?"

"I was going to talk to Oliver Queen-" He looked at Barry.

"I'm not telling you who the Green Arrow is, Nate."

"Fine. Then I remembered Iris has met the Flash, it's about the Legends."

"What?" Laurel asked. "What about them? Is Sara all right?"

"And Dad?" Lily asked.

"What about Jax?" Wally asked.

"There's a few records of their changes to history, but one, I found it last week, in 1942 a ship similar to one depicted in Mespotamic hieroglyphics crashed into the Atlantic near New York followed by what seems to be the explosion from an atomic bomb."

"No, that can't be right," Lily said.

"I know, it's three years before-"

"Dad said they weren't going to 1942."

"Someone called Rex Tyler warned them not to," Laurel said. "Sara said he vanished, which meant they didn't go."

"I'm sure Sara's fine, Laurel," Henry said. "Barry, is there something you can do?"

"I haven't time travelled that far back before," Barry said. "But I can run to New York. The _Waverider_ is from the future, so maybe it's left something behind?"

"Then I'm coming with you," Lily said.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Eddie said.

"It's Dad."

"Exactly," Wally's dad said. "And there's only one person who would let Barry run him that far."

* * *

"I think I'm going to be sick," Nate said.

"That's not even his top speed," Wally said. Nate bent over. "Now what?"

"I don't know," Barry said. "I don't even know where we are."

"But we are in New York, right?"

"According to the maps I looked at before we left."

"That's the worst thing I've ever agreed to," Nate said.

"We could find the port," Wally said. "Did you bring a map?"

"I have an atlas," Barry said. "We could ask for directions?"

"I know where we're going," Nate said. "Just please don't run me there."

* * *

Getting down to the _Waverider_ was going to be an issue.

"Can you rent submarines?" Wally asked.

"I'm going with no," Barry said. "I bet Batwoman would know where to get a submarine."

"She would," Nate said. "Probably."

"Ah," Wally said. "I get it now."

"Get what?"

"Why Dad suggested I come, even though he hasn't wanted me joining in on adventures since Earth-2."

"Earth-2?"

"There's multiple Earths," Barry said. "I'll fill you in later."

"After I keep you out of Gotham, right?" Wally asked. "It's not far."

"We have important things to do right now," Barry said. "We can go to Gotham after."

"No, we can't. You have a job."

"But it's the weekend. It's Saturday tomorrow, I don't work Saturdays. Do you know what happened last time I agreed to work overtime and went in on a Saturday? I got struck by lightning and nearly died."

"Oh, do your powers make you really good at swimming?" Nate asked.

"I still need to breathe, Nate."

"We could ask A.R.G.U.S.," Wally said.

"We really should have thought this through more," Barry said.

"What's A.R.G.U.S.?" Nate asked.

"I'll add it to the list of things to explain later."

A small, grey Thunderbird looking thing bobbed to the surface of the water.

"That looks like a mini _Waverider_ ," Barry said.

"It must be the jump ship," Wally said. "Jax told me about it."

"How did it get here?" Nate asked.

"Just be glad it did," Barry said. It opened and he climbed in. Wally followed. "Sara?"

"I am uncertain of Ms Lance's current whereabouts, Barry."

"Gideon?"

"Hello, Barry."

"That explains a lot," Wally said. "It's good to hear you again, Gideon."

"And you, Wally, though I am afraid the Gideon you are referring to is a Gideon from the previous timeline."

"Hence you sound different," Barry said. "Do I still create you?"

"Yes, Barry, though I am unable to tell you more of your future."

"That's my girl."

"That's your daughter?" Nate asked.

"Nate, this is Gideon, Gideon, this is Nate. Gideon is the A.I. that runs the _Waverider_."

"You made a robot?"

"A.I, and not yet.  Time travel."

"You know," Wally said. "If Barry creates you, that makes him your dad, right? And I'm Uncle Wally?"

"I will adjust my address accordingly, Uncle Wally."

"Did you just..."

Wally shrugged and smiled at Barry.

"Gideon, can you take us to the _Waverider_?" Barry asked. "Nate thinks the Legends are in danger.

"Yes, Father."

The jump ship shot down.

* * *

The _Waverider_ was dark, but Gideon led them through to the med bay.

Mick Rory was unconscious on a bed. Barry pulled his cowl up and positioned himself between Heatwave and Wally.

"Gideon," he said.

Heatwave blinked, then reached for where his heat gun usually hung on his belt.

"Please don't," Barry said. "I'm not here for a fight."

"Why are you here?"

"Doctor Heywood is a historian; you made your marks. Where are the others?"

"Don't know. Englishman hit me on the head."

"What were you doing?"

"Nazis nuked New York in 42, we went to stop them. I hate Nazis."

"Me too. They still lose, right?"

"Killed a lot more people, but they lost."

"Where's everyone else?"

"Englishman time scattered them so they wouldn't get hurt. I was injured, he must have left me in stasis."

"Correct, Mister Rory," Gideon said. "I have been keeping the ship in low power mode and directing energy to life support systems while I waited to send a message to my father."

"She means me," Barry said at Heatwave's vaguely confused look.

"I was alerted to Father's presence in New York before I was able to send his message, and so was able to send the jump ship to his location."

"How did you do that?" Nate asked. "Do you have some kind of Flash detection equipment?"

"No, his photograph was posted on Twitter."

"In hindsight," Wally said. "You probably should have changed out of your suit when we got here."

"Probably," Barry said. "But I had no hands free when I was carrying you two, and I didn't want to catch fire today."

"Wait," Wally said. "If Captain Hunter time scattered everyone, then knocked you out, how come he's not here too?"

"Don't know," Heatwave shrugged.

"Do you know where they are?" Barry asked.

"No. Probably need rescuing."

"Yeah, Lily will not be happy if we come back saying Martin's lost in time somewhere."

"But we don't know where they are," Wally said.

"I can find them," Nate said.

"You can?"

"I can if they keep leaving records behind."

"Are you sure?" Barry asked.

"I'll be fine, I'm a historian, this is time travel. If it makes you feel better, I have some clotting factor with me, and I'll stay on the ship. And the Flash could watch my back."

"Actually, I probably shouldn't. Speedsters tend to attract attention when we time travel, and you really don't want to meet a Time Wraith."

"You have time travelled?"

"Yeah, and I don't need a ship. Remember that guy I was looking for?"

"The man in yellow, yeah, fake Harrison Wells being revealed as a murderer then vanishing was on the news."

"His name was Eobard Thawne, him vanishing was him being erased from existence. He was from the future, he called himself Reverse Flash. I assume you know how to fly this thing, Heatwave."

Heatwave just looked at him.

"Anyway, we're a long way to swim, any chance you can drop us off in Central on your way?"

* * *

"I think you're going to have to go over it again," Cisco said.

"Nate has gone to help Heatwave find the Legends, who are scattered throughout history," Barry said.

"And the aberration?" Lily asked.

"Fixed."

"And I kept Barry out of Gotham, Dad," Wally said. "That was the point, right?"

"Good job, Wally."

"We should tell Clarissa and Beverly," Henry said. Wally's dad nodded.

"I can tell Mom," Lily said.

"We'll talk to them at the bar," Wally's dad said. Lily blinked.

"Clarissa, Beverly, and Henry are the people you've been meeting every other Friday?" Wally asked. Everyone else looked at him. "I obviously noticed Dad wasn't home Friday evenings?"

"Barry clearly didn't," Linda said.

"Barry moved in with Henry over the summer," Iris said.

"Didn't notice that either," Linda said. Barry turned red.

"Um," Eddie said. "Well, um-" He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Aww, you're even picking up Barry's habits, you two are cute."

"Has my mom been going with you?" Laurel asked. "Is that what she meant by superhero parent support club, the five of you drinking together?"

"I'm not a superhero," Lily said.

"It's your driving," Hartley said. "Or maybe that time you broke into a military base."

"You helped with that."

"You did what?" Laurel asked.

"It's a long story," Caitlin said.

* * *

Wally was running through Central's streets, Barry at his side, a girl he knew but didn't know on Barry's other side in a dark blue and white suit, and a yellow insignia on the front.

She laughed as they ran, yellow lightning streaking in their wake.

A wormhole opened. Time travel.

Wally opened his eyes. Just a dream. He wasn't a speedster.

But it felt so real.

* * *

Time travel. He'd dreamt about speedsters and time travel. If this was time travel...

There was only one person he knew who had dreams of other timelines.

Wally never quite knew what to expect when walking into Cisco's lab. He had a number of projects at any time, he could have been doing anything.

Sitting at his desk reading a magazine while Barry read a book on computer programming was definitely not on his list.

"Hey, Wally," Cisco said. "Oh, Barry, we made out after that robbery last week."

"Nice."

"I have questions," Wally said.

"I don't remember stuff I learn at superspeed for very long, so I'm slowly working on learning enough to make Gideon," Barry said.

"Great. And why is Cisco reading Gem Gossip when everyone knows they make up everything and why are you two making out after bank robberies?"

"Tabloids are great," Cisco said. "They had a double spread on the Flash's identity last week, Barry was not on there."

"Because no one knows who Barry is so he can't sell papers?"

"I made it, the enigmatic Francisco Ramon, who now runs S.T.A.R. Labs and helps C.C.P.D. with metahumans, they proposed I get all my information from being the Flash."

"They're not completely wrong."

"It makes up for the one they published the week before claiming Cisco was involved with Thawne's plan the whole time," Barry said.

"Isn't that just straight up slander? Shouldn't you call a lawyer?"

"Yeah, probably," Cisco said. "But it was kind of funny."

"It was?"

"They didn't bring up Nora, if they'd done that, I would have called Laurel."

"Right. And the kissing?"

"Obviously we weren't," Barry said. "But you know that rumour that went out after Pride? Cisco and I may have been encouraging it."

"Why?"

"To throw people off," Cisco said. "If the Flash and Vibe are dating, then if I'm Vibe, Hartley must be the Flash, but he's too short, and if Barry's the Flash then Eddie must be Vibe, but he doesn't have my beautiful hair. Not that anyone can get a clear picture of me, I love my superpowers, but people keep bringing up my hair when they describe me."

"You two are encouraging tabloids to speculate on your relationship to help keep your secret identities," Wally said.

"Yeah," Barry said. "Hartley and Eddie think we're ridiculous, but they're fine with it, it's not like it's true."

"People just misinterpret two dudes hugging because they're bffs and just stopped a crime together," Cisco said. "If I'm the Flash, that makes Hart Vibe."

"Except the tabloids don't actually know you two are dating," Barry said. "Not that it's their business anyway, but that's why they keep speculating about you, they don't know anything. Same as they like speculating about Vibe, the Flash, and Pied Piper, none of us are going to take our masks off to prove them wrong."

"Or possibly sue them," Wally said.

"Or that. Are you all right, Wally?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I just-" Keep having weird dreams. "I was just wondering what you two were doing."

"Reading," Cisco said. "Hey, do you want help with your engine still?"

"Yeah, that would be great."

* * *

Wally should tell someone. But he hadn't had a dream for a few days, maybe they were just dreams. Barry hadn't mentioned time travel, and Barry told them when he time travelled. And Wally didn't have Cisco's powers. He didn't have any powers, despite his dream self's protests.

Besides, he felt older in the dreams. Cisco dreamt about the past, time travel would be affecting the past, he wouldn't dream about the future if it was related to time travel. They must just be dreams.

They had to be. Nothing else made sense.

* * *

Barry was in a bad mood when he arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs. It always seemed a little odd to see Barry in a bad mood, even with Eddie holding his hand.

"Julian?" Lily asked. Eddie nodded.

"We found another husk today, down at Leawood."

"That's the fifth now, isn't it?" Cisco asked. "Do you know what they are yet?"

"I might if Julian would let me run tests," Barry grumbled. "But no, he's the meta expert, I'm just an assistant. I've been running that lab single-handedly for three years, but clearly he knows everything."

"I thought you started at C.C.P.D. five years ago," Wally said.

"I was in the main crime lab with James and Angela for a while, then I was in a coma for nine months. It would be four years if I'd been conscious."

"We know what they are," Eddie said. "What did you say it was called, babe?"

"The stratum corneum," Barry said. "It's the top layer of the epidermis."

"They're made of skin?" Lily asked. "That's disgusting."

"The stratum corneum is comprised of dead cells," Caitlin said. "Snakes shed their skin. Dust is mostly dead skin."

"That really doesn't make it sound less gross."

"We haven't got any DNA matches back yet," Eddie said. "But we're assuming it's meta related."

"A safe assumption for Central City," Hartley said. "Is the DNA all different?"

"So far."

"We already have a shark man and a telepathic gorilla, can we not have snake people too," Cisco said. "Or lizard people, Spider-Man taught us that was a bad idea."

"That was a bad time to walk in," Linda said. Iris and Laurel were with her, and Iris went straight to Caitlin's side. "What Spider-Man villain are we fighting today?"

"Not the Lizard," Cisco said. "I could try vibing."

"Good luck getting Julian to let you stand in the same room as any evidence," Barry grumbled. He looked at his phone. "Oh, I forgot, have we seen the Legends since Nate went to find them last week?"

"Dad hasn't been home yet," Lily said.

"I haven't heard from Sara," Laurel said. "Why?"

"Hank called me earlier and asked if I knew where Nate was," Barry said. He nodded at Cisco's quizzical eyebrow. "Nate's brother."

"You know his brother well enough he has your number?"

"Not really, I only met him once, he lives in Detroit. Nate left it for him."

"Hank's the one who brought you home after you two got drunk and decided to prove Wonder Woman was real, right?" Iris asked.

"Thanks, Iris."

"You two did what?" Lily asked.

"Who's Wonder Woman?" Laurel asked.

"You might have to read Barry's blog," Eddie said.

"Anyway," Barry said. "Hank's actually Nate's half-brother, I think, but neither of them talk to their father if they can help it. But Nate's got haemophilia, Hank got worried when he stopped answering his phone a couple of days ago, he wanted to know if I'd seen him."

"The Legends probably just lost track of time again," Wally said. "He said he'd stay on the ship, right?"

"See," Lily said. "It was a lot easier to assume everything was fine before we found out they got in a bar fight like half an hour after they left, and it pretty much followed that."

"I'm just going to assume it's taking a while to find them, and if they're not back by next week we can set up the time beacon Ray left us," Barry said.

"And if they don't answer, you might have to time travel," Cisco said. "I'll go with you."

"We don't know if Barry can take someone when he time travels," Linda said. Cisco and Barry looked at each other.

"Unless you two did something," Caitlin said.

"I meant with Thawne's time bubble he said Rip designed," Cisco said. "He left the plans in the morgue, I was sorting through the other day, it looks easy enough and there's one half finished under the Pipeline."

"Right," Linda said. "Anything else happen today?"

* * *

Wally pushed the dreams from his mind. He had coursework, he had to start thinking about his dissertation, there were husks around the city, the Legends hadn't dropped in yet, there was too much to do, he didn't have time to dwell on weird dreams.

That's what he told himself right up until he walked out the library and came face to face with a guy in a black suit with a lightning bolt on the front. Wally hit the alert button Cisco had installed on his phone.

Barry- in his suit, cowl up- pushed Wally back with one arm.

"You're not the Flash I remember," the guy said.

"Who are you?" Barry asked.

The guy was behind Wally before he could blink. Barry had moved too, still putting himself between Wally and the guy.

"Does that answer your question?"

"You're a speedster."

"You can call me the Rival. Your Rival."

"Reverse Flash and Zoom both failed to beat me, dude, what makes you think you stand a chance?"

He tossed a bolt of lightning. Wally froze, but the lightning hit the building behind the Rival. Barry and the new speedster shot off.

S.T.A.R. Labs. He had to get to S.T.A.R. Labs.

He had to call Cisco.

* * *

Wally ran into S.T.A.R. Labs too late. Barry was already back, with Cisco. Both of them were in their suits. That meant, he hoped that meant-

"Wally." Barry hugged him, quickly followed by Iris. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What happened?"

"He's in Iron Heights. Are you sure you're okay?"

"He didn't- You were there before he could even say anything. Iron Heights?"

"He led Barry to the Prescott Mill," Cisco said. "There was someone else there, I breached in to help Barry."

"You stopped him?"

"I think there's a bigger issue here," Iris said. "He went to the university."

"Gideon said my picture ended up on Twitter," Barry said. "Do you think maybe Wally was in one of those, or maybe someone noticed I give him a lift most days?"

"I checked those, it was just you running," Lily said. "You can't even tell it's you, it's just a streak."

"Iris is quite well known for writing about the Flash," Hartley said.

"You think he came after me deliberately?" Wally asked.

"Maybe it was coincidence," Iris said. "I hope it was coincidence. But it wouldn't be the first time."

"But Zoloman already knew Barry, that guy didn't. He even said Barry wasn't the Flash he remembered, maybe he's from another Earth."

"I don't think so." Wally's dad and Eddie walked in, and Wally's dad pulled Wally in close. "His name is Edward Clariss."

"He's from our Earth?" Linda asked.

"We still don't know how many people the particle accelerator affected," Caitlin said.

"We got a DNA match with the husk that was found yesterday," Wally's dad said. "That belongs to Clariss."

"The husk?" Hartley asked. "That has something to do with this?"

"If the husks are caused by someone creating metahumans, there are four more somewhere in the city," Barry said.

"That just leaves more questions," Laurel said.

"Someone's creating metahumans," Cisco said. "We don't know how or why. We don't know anything about that Alchemy guy who was waiting for Clariss."

"Or what Clariss meant by another Flash," Barry said. "I'll go talk to Jay, see if he knows anything."

"Clariss isn't talking," Eddie said. "But we can try again tomorrow."

"And we need to find the other four metahumans," Iris said.

"That's the easiest bit," Lily said. "It's only a matter of time before another one tries to kill Barry."

"Unfortunately, I think Lily's right," Wally's dad said. "Until then, we need to focus on the who. Once we have them, we can find out how and why, and stop them doing it again. Wally-"

"I'm fine, Dad. I am. I'm just a little out of breath from running here."

Maybe it wasn't the right time to bring up the feeling of déjà vu he's got when the Rival had run off.

* * *

Wally was in the suit again. The red suit, the Flash suit, his Flash suit-

"Wally?"

"Excuse me?" Wally asked. No one should know his name, not while he had his cowl up, only Barry, Linda, Iris, Max, Jesse, Jay, and Joan knew he was the Flash.

The girl- she was a girl, not more than fourteen- was in her own suit, dark blue and white, with shorts, and a yellow lightning bolt on her chest. She didn't have a mask on, she'd just pulled her hair up, and something about her seemed familiar.

Her eyes widened when she met his eyes.

"You're the other Wally, the first Wally. Oh no." She started vibrating.

"Hey, it's okay," Wally said. "It's okay. You're a speedster."

"I'm XS."

"XS? That's a good name. Time or parallel dimension?"

"Time."

"I know just the guy."

Wally offered her his hand.


	2. Cyan

"Iris."

Iris put down her laptop and rushed to the bathroom. Caitlin was huddled on the floor of the now frozen shower, a streak of white in her hair.

"I'm here, honey." Iris reached out, and Caitlin flinched.

"You can't touch me."

"You're not going to hurt me."

"I will."

"Okay. I won't touch you. I'm going to make us hot chocolate, is that all right?"

Caitlin nodded and Iris retreated to the kitchen.

She had two mugs ready by the time Caitlin emerged with her thickest pyjamas on. She'd cut the white streak out of her hair already, and she avoided Iris' hands when she accepted the mug.

"It's getting worse."

"Caitlin-"

"I'll hurt you."

"You won't. You'd never."

"My doppelganger was-"

"You're not her. You're my Caitlin, you're not her."

"I'm turning into her."

"You're not. You're still the same person. Cisco didn't change when he got powers. Barry and Eddie didn't change. Ronnie didn't change. You're still my Caitlin."

"I can't control it like they can."

"We'll work it out, sweetheart. We can. I love you; I'm going to do everything I can to help you."

Caitlin nodded.

Whatever this was, Iris was not letting it take Caitlin away from her.

* * *

Central City might have been the light to Star's dark, but they had their own share of corruption. After Nimbus and Snart, the Darbaynians and Santinis had all but vanished, but that just left room for smaller groups of organised crime to take root.

At least that gave Iris a job.

You'd think with the Flash, Vibe, and Pied Piper, people might finally be put off committing crime, but apparently not.

Scott seemed more open to accepting the Flash than he had been when he'd started. Iris wasn't sure if this was from talking to people, or from Zoom's metapocalypse, or just from being in Central City for more than a few weeks, but he hadn't asked her to write another piece criticising Barry. Not that he knew it was Barry.

And it was nice working slightly closer with Linda now she was flitting between investigative journalism, crime, and sports. Work was going well.

Iris just wished she could help Caitlin as easily as she could find her next story.

* * *

Ronnie had visited a couple of times in the six months since Zoom, and Jay stuck his head in a few times to check up on them too. Mostly Barry, and Barry had been over to Earth-3 too. And Barry and Cisco had looked around a few Earths in an attempt to find Supergirl.

So, it wasn't the first breach that had appeared in S.T.A.R. Labs since they'd shut the one from the Singularity.

But it wasn't Jay who ran through.

"Harry?" Iris asked. A bolt of lightning shot past and straight into Barry. Iris blinked as Jesse stopped, a huge grin on her face.

"You're a speedster," Barry said.

"How?" Caitlin asked.

"It happened a few days ago," Harry said.

"Jesse was unconsious after the second accelerator expolsion," Hartley said. Wally looked like he wanted to say something, but he stepped back instead.

"You lot know about speedsters," Harry said.

"Dad wants to know if you can run some tests," Jesse said. She was bouncing on her feet, and Barry seemed to be buzzing next to her.

"Of course we can," Caitlin said. "Why don't we take you to the Speed Lab?"

"Race you." Jesse shot off, and Barry shot after her.

* * *

Harry had asked if they could keep testing Jesse, something was off about Wally, and Iris had work. There was a man claiming to have been attacked by a lamppost the night before, and since it was likely meta releated, Iris was on it. She'd dropped by C.C.P.D. but hadn't found much, so Iris had headed back to Picture News to see what she could find on John James.

Caitlin kept her updated on Jesse, and on Harry worrying about Jesse.

And on Wally stepping in front of a car.

Wally loved running with Barry, Iris knew that. And with Barry, Eddie, and Cisco, it was no wonder he wondered. It wasn't a secret Wally wanted to help, to go out there, like Barry, Cisco, and Hartley, like Laurel had in Star, like Lily had when Martin was in trouble, like Linda had to trick Zoom, like their dad did with work every day. Wally wanted to help people, that was what Wests did. Their grandfather had been a cop, their dad was one, Earth-2 Iris was one, investigation and helping people were in their genes. Wally had rushed in to help Barry on Earth-2. Wally had been ready to face Zoom himself when he had Caitlin. So had Iris, she hadn't thought much of it then, but Wally had also insulted Zoom to his face and tried to fight him himself to protect everyone else.

And he'd been hit by dark matter. Wally wanted powers. He wanted to be a hero. He wanted to help people, and he wanted to keep his family safe. That made sense.

But stepping in front of a car...

Their dad had talked to him, apparently Barry had shouted at him, but maybe Iris should try.

After she'd visited Mister James in the hospital to get his side of the story.

* * *

His side of the story was that his foster kid- Frankie Kane- was the one to throw the lamppost. He was also apparently an abusive bastard.

Still, she couldn't just leave him when people started panicking that something was going on.

Iris just hit her alert and pushed Mister James out of his hospital room. Barry, Cisco, and Hartley would be on their way. It would be fine. They just needed to stop Frankie Kane before she did something she'd regret.

By the time Iris got James outside, Barry was hugging Frankie, and Jesse was next to him, with a red suit and a mask on. Iris got a quick picture. They wouldn't mind.

* * *

Barry was waiting by her car- still in his suit- after Iris left James with a nurse. He was holding Frankie Kane's hand.

"Ms West," Barry said. "I thought I saw you there. Frankie, this is my friend, Iris West."

"I read your articles," Frankie said.

"Thank you," Iris said. "How can I help, Flash?"

"I've been assured everyone hates being carried by me, so I was hoping we could get a ride back to S.T.A.R. Labs?"

"Did I hurt anyone?"

"No," Iris said. "No, everyone's fine, Frankie, I promise."

"I didn't mean to."

"I know."

"Come on," Barry said. "It's not far."

* * *

Caitlin, Cisco, Hartley, Wally, Lily, her dad, Jesse (in her suit), Harry, and Laurel were all waiting in the Cortex. Frankie looked scared, but Barry kept a hand on her shoulder.

"This is Detective Joe West," Barry said.

"Are you going to arrest me?"

"No," Iris' dad said. "You didn't hurt anyone, Frankie. The only person getting arrested is John."

"He is?"

"He is," Laurel said. "D.A. Horton is going to handle this herself; I've already spoken to her."

"And I was thinking of investigating how someone like John could become a foster father," Iris said. "A much better story than mysterious broken lampposts, wouldn't you say, Frankie?"

"What happens now?" she asked.

"I think I've found another foster family in Keystone," Caitlin said. "Nice people. If you want."

"And we can help you find a therapist or whatever you think would help you," Hartley said. "If you ever need us, you know how to find us."

"Like if Magenta comes back?"

"Frankie," Barry said. "Magenta isn't bad, neither of you are bad. You were both just scared, that's all. And now you don't have to be scared anymore. You'll be brilliant, I know you will. I know you black out, but do you remember anything about how you got your powers?"

"I kept having dreams," Frankie said. "But they felt real. And they wouldn't stop, and I kept getting confused about where I was and what was happening. I thought this was getting worse again, but then a man started talking to me. He said his name was Alchemy and he could help me. He could give me a way to stop John hurting me."

"That's great, Frankie," Iris' dad said. "That's really great. Ms Lance and I are going to have to take you to the station, just so you can give your statement about John, and so we can introduce you to these possible new foster parents."

Frankie nodded.

* * *

Wally had disappeared quickly after their dad had left with Frankie. Iris had seen the look on his face when Frankie had mentioned dreams of another life too.

He had the bonnet of the S.T.A.R. Labs van up when Iris found him, and grease all over his hands.

"Wally."

"I guess it's your turn to talk to me, huh?" He wiped his hands on a rag and sat down against the van. Iris sat next to him. "It was a mistake."

"You could have died, Wally. If Jesse hadn't been there-"

"I know. I just needed to know. Jesse and I both got hit by that wave."

"So did Dante. We all did. When the particle accelerator blew up it smshed the windows in C.C.P.D., I got hit then, I don't have powers. Everyone in Central got hit that night, most of them aren't metas. I know you want this, Walls."

"It's not that. I keep..." Wally trailed off. "I, um, I keep remembering what you told Mom. That I help the Flash. And she said I was a hero. I want to be that person. I want to make her proud."

"She was proud of you, Walls." Iris put her arm over his shoulders. "And you do help. You saved Barry on Earth-2, didn't you, and you didn't have powers."

"I guess."

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm just tired, I guess. It's probably just school."

"You know you can talk to me, don't you?"

"I know. It's nothing, Iris. I'm fine."

She should probably tell him he wasn't a good liar.

* * *

"Wally's hiding something," Iris said.

"Hiding what?" Caitlin asked.

"I don't know yet. I'll keep an eye on him."

Caitlin dropped the mug he was holding. Her coffee had turned to ice.

Iris rushed to her.

"It's okay, honey, it's okay." Iris closed her hands around Caitlin's. They were freezing. "It's okay."

"I can't do this. I can't turn into her."

"You won't," Iris said. "Cait, look at me. You're not Killer Frost."

"She killed people for Zoom, she-"

"You are not her. Cisco and Reverb had the same powers, Reverb tried to kill Barry."

"Cisco wouldn't, he could never."

"So, why do you think you will?"

"I cant control it. I don't know why this is happening to me."

"If anyone can figure it out, it's you."

"I just want it gone."

"I think you're the only person who could do that."

"I can't. I think there's only one person who could help."

"Then we'll go and see them."

"It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"It's my mother."


	3. Cold as Ice

Carla Tannhauser wasn't a bad mother. Not really. But she wasn't a good mother either, at least not from Caitlin's point of view, and it had been easy for Caitlin to fall out of touch as soon as she'd gone away to med school.

It had been different before. Her father had been the one who wanted children, Caitlin knew that, and he doted on her. She was always a daddy's girl, and when he died it was hard. Logically, she knew it was hard for her mother too, but at the time Caitlin hadn't fully accepted that. And as she got older, that distance between them had grown, until Caitlin was sure it would never be fixed.

Which meant the idea of going to her mother and asking for help was less than appealing.

But she didn't want to spend her life afraid of touching Iris either.

Maybe Iris was right, maybe she could solve this on her own. Maybe.

Only, so far they'd discovered metahumans were caused by a mutation in DNA, you couldn't just undo a mutation. Maybe through transgenics, but she couldn't just go through all of her cells and take out the metagene.

There had to be something she could do.

* * *

Wally had been the one to suggest a Friday night out, even if it had been Iris who suggested bowling. Jesse had been training all week, Wally had said, and they'd all been busy, they could use a real break. Caitlin definitely agreed with that. Anything that took her mind off these powers for a few minutes would be good.

And Iris was still sure there was something going on with Wally.

Being in a public place where they couldn't talk about anything related to Team Labs was probably a good thing too.

"Have we heard anything from Frankie?" Wally asked.

"She's settling in and much happier," Hartley said. "And she's getting help."

"Good," Barry said. His fists were clenched, until Eddie whispered something. "How's your article coming, Iris?"

"Good," Iris said. "We've got a short piece for tomorrow after his trail today, that might help someone else come forward."

"I saw D.A. Horton today," Eddie said. "She seemed happy."

"That's because she talked to Joe today," Laurel said. "Sorry, you three."

"Dad and Cecile have been skirting around each other for years," Iris said. "Maybe we should talk to him."

"We could set them up," Cisco said.

"No," Lily and Caitlin said. Cisco looked offended.

"I talked to Iris before you could finish your plans," Caitlin said.

"And you tried to set me up with Kendra," Lily said. "Just before we met Carter."

"Can you really be considered a dating expert considering how long it took you and Hartley to work things out?" Linda asked.

"You did suggest I marry Ray," Barry said.

"That was a joke and you know it," Cisco said. He turned to Lily. "You're just deflecting because you realise I only promised to stop until Barry talked to Eddie, and they have now talked."

"Did they tell you to talk to me after Kendra, Carter, and Savage?" Eddie asked.

"Maybe," Barry said. "Yes. A lot."

"I know, Cisco," Lily said. "That's why you attempted to set me up with Sara over the summer."

"Cisco," Laurel said.

"I did no such thing," Cisco said. "Sara's my new bro, we were both going to find you a date. Besides, Kendra said you were cute, and she might have considered it before all the stuff that happened."

"Great," Lily said. "Now I have two people interfering with my non-existent love life."

"What about Officer Kim?" Eddie asked.

"Daniella's back with her nurse," Barry said. "We were talking earlier."

"I think Judy's single," Linda said.

"That's it," Lily said. "I'm going to be designated driver until you lot stop."

"Dating no one is better than dating you know who," Cisco said.

"Us, interfere?" Linda said. "Never."

"I'm cool with that," Wally said. "So, based on you know who, your type is-"

"Wally," Iris said. "Just because you enjoy reckless speeds, doesn't mean the rest of us do."

"I thought I was designated driver," Barry said.

"You running plus alcohol seems like a bad combination," Hartley said.

"Cisco," Caitlin said. "Exactly how many times did you hang out with Sara over the summer?"

* * *

A metahuman who could travel through reflective surfaces. That was a new one.

"Hang on," Cisco said. "M-"

"Mirror Master," Harry said.

"That's not half bad."

"We have a Mirror Master on our Earth," Jesse said.

"Okay, then that's cheating, Harry."

"Evan McCulloch isn't a meta," Harry said. "He has a mirror gun."

"How does that work?" Lily asked.

"Some kind of dimension warping technology."

"Anyway," Barry said. "Scudder wants Leonard Snart, and he's going through Snart's old crew looking."

Cisco grabbed Hartley's hand.

"I don't know Scudder," Hartley said. "But Snart's dead, he won't find him."

"What about Lisa?" Caitlin asked.

"I think she can handle herself," Lily said. "And we don't know where she is."

"No, Joe and Eddie went to Iron Heights to talk to Rosalind Dillon," Barry said. "She's the only known associate of Snart we can actually tell you where she is, so."

"She's a metahuman," Cisco said. "Top. She has vertigo inducing powers if you look her in the eye and they suck."

"How do you know that?" Jesse asked.

"How do you think she ended up in Iron Heights?"

"You fought a metahuman?" Harry asked.

"Well, excuse me, I have powers now. I'm still learning, and I don't have a healing factor, but I can fight crime too if I want."

"I don't remember her," Lily said. She looked at the picture Barry had brought up. "I would definitely remember her."

"I am literally begging you not to get another crush on a supervillain," Cisco said. "You wouldn't, it was back in May, the Legends dropped in so you were at home, Caitlin and Iris were on a lunch date, Barry and Henry were moving into their new place and Eddie was helping, Linda interviewing a sport person, and Hart was building that motorbike with Wally and Jax, Sara had dropped in to say hi to Laurel, so they three of us handled it. Laurel is great at comms by the way."

 "And that's why you and Sara are apparently good friends now," Caitlin said.

"Not only. But partly."

"Your Earth is still weird," Jesse said, also looking at Top's picture.

"You know her doppelganger?" Hartley asked.

"Yeah, Rosa Snart, she's a famous ice skater."

"Snart?" Barry asked.

"She's married to the mayor."

"Huh. I should get back to C.C.P.D."

* * *

It was nice having Harry back, even if it was only for a little while. They'd missed having him around. Harry, Martin, Thawne, they'd all filled the role of older science orientated mentor. They all missed that; Caitlin knew that.

But at the same time, they'd been doing this for two years now. They'd defeated Thawne and Zoom. They could stop Alchemy too. They were all better at this than they had been when Barry had first woken up. If they found another mentor, great, but no one could replace Harry. Not even Cisco's joking suggestion of sending out a multiverse-wide job application for a new Harrison Wells.

And they had other priorities right now.

Like how to get Barry out of the mirror he was currently trapped in.

Scudder had broken Dillon out of Irons Heights, through a glass door. Then they'd tried to rob a bank. Barry and Jesse had gone after them.

Top whammied Jesse when Barry raced after Mirror Master, and when he'd gone back to help Jesse, Scudder had taken his chance.

And now Barry was stuck inside a mirror.

"Barry," Lily said. "Can you phase?"

Barry said something.

"That was gibberish," Cisco said. "Is he speed talking again?" He looked at Jesse.

"Speed talking?" Jesse asked.

"Barry talks fast sometimes," Iris said. "Usually when he's nervous."

"I think he slips into it sometimes with Jay," Eddie said. "They did when Barry asked him about Clariss."

"I didn't understand," Jesse said. "This is my fault."

Barry shook his head and said something else.

"Oh," Cisco said. "That's obvious."

"What is?" Joe asked.

"Well, he's in a mirror," Cisco said. "Mirror images are flipped."

"So, Barry's speaking backwards," Hartley said. "Cisco?"

"I must have something somewhere."

"Something?" Henry asked.

"So we can record what Barry's saying, then play it backwards to understand it, like in- Never mind."

"Like old records," Joe said.

"This will do." Cisco stuck something on the mirror. "Barry?"

"Can you hear me now?"

"Yes," Eddie said. "We're going to get you out, Bare."

"That would be great. I can't phase, I tried."

"If we're assuming this is some kind of wormhole," Lily said, "then if we can slow down the molecules in the mirror, it might let Barry phase through?"

"So, we need to cool it down," Cisco said. "By a lot."

"The Cold Gun?" Hartley asked.

"Which the Legends still have, but I can make another one."

"I can wait with Barry," Eddie said.

* * *

The Cold Gun didn't work. It didn't work. Something to do with Barry and the mirror's molecules vibrating and heating up again, they had to keep the mirror from vibrating while Barry did.

Scudder and Dillon were robbing another bank.

"I can take Dillon," Cisco said. "I had Sara last time, but I'm sure it will be fine. Hartley can help."

"What about Scudder?" Linda asked.

"I can help," Jesse said.

Barry nodded.

"You can do it, Jesse."

"I can help," Laurel said. "I've still got my suit."

"You haven't done this since you got hurt," Lily said. "You only started walking again a few months ago, what if-"

"Lily, someone has to help Jesse."

"Then I'm going too. Cisco-"

"Yeah, sure, take it, it didn't work. But didn't your parents-"

"My parents didn't want to lose anyone else like we lost Ronnie, but since Ronnie is fine, it's fine. Probably."

"We don't know how to stop him," Linda said.

"I might have an idea," Iris said.

Everyone was leaving. Rushing to the Cortex. Hartley, Cisco, and Laurel had to put their suits on. Lily didn't have one, but she'd find something. Jesse could change in seconds.

Iris looked back at Caitlin and gave a tiny nod. No one else seemed to have noticed.

Caitlin stepped behind Barry's mirror and pressed her hands to it. She could feel the heat and she drew it back into herself. Ice formed under her fingertips, and a mist of cold air escaped her lips.

Caitlin darted after everyone else before they noticed she was missing.

* * *

Barry had freed himself right after Caitlin had left, which meant Laurel and Lily hadn't had to go. Lily seemed relieved when Barry told Laurel he could handle it.

And Jesse and Harry had left for Earth-2 again. They'd be missed, but Caitlin was sure they'd see them again soon.

And, according to Barry, D.A. Horton had suggested dinner to Joe. he'd turned her down for movie night with Iris, Wally, and Barry, but Iris was planning on speaking to him.

But not right now.

Caitlin could feel Iris' heat, just like she'd felt the heat from the mirror. If she pulled, like she had before, if she...

"Honey," Iris said. "I know you're not asleep."

"I just..."

"You saved Barry. He'd still be stuck in a mirror without you."

Caitlin nodded, and Iris sighed.

"You said your mother might be able to help. Have you made up your mind?"

"Will you come with me?"

"Yes."

* * *

Scott hadn't minded Iris booking the day off on such short notice (she hadn't told Caitlin the exact excuse she'd given, but Scott liked Iris, so that probably helped).

Instead, they'd got the earliest train possible to Fawcett City.

It felt odd to be back there. Caitlin hadn't been since she'd taken the job at S.T.A.R. Labs.

She kept her hand inside Iris' and stepped inside Tannhauser Industries.

Caitlin didn't recognise the receptionist. She hadn't expected to.

"Can I help you?"

"Is Doctor Tannhauser free?" Caitlin asked. Iris squeezed her hand.

"I can book you an appointment," the receptionist said.

"I was hoping to see her today. Do you think you could tell her Caitlin Snow is here to see her?"

"You do understand Doctor Tannhauser is a very busy woman."

"Believe me, I think I understand that better than anyone."

"It's all right, Jackie," Caitlin's mother said. "I'll see Doctor Snow now; I have a few minutes before my next meeting."

"Hi, Mom," Caitlin said.

"Caitlin."

"This is Iris. My partner."

"It's nice to meet you, Doctor Tannhauser," Iris said.

"Likewise," Caitlin's mother said. "My office is this way."

* * *

Caitlin hadn't been in her mother's office for years. Not since she'd told her about her job offer from Harrison Wells and that she was moving to Central City. It looked just as impersonal now as it had back then.

Caitlin sat opposite the desk. This really was just a meeting.

And awkward.

"So," Caitlin's mother said. "How did you meet?"

"In the coffee shop Iris worked in before Picture News offered her a job," Caitlin said.

"Oh. You're a journalist."

"I do mostly investigative reporting," Iris said. "There's a lot to write about in Central City these days."

"I've heard. S.T.A.R. Labs does seem to often be at the heart of it."

"You must have heard about Harrison Wells," Caitlin said. "And we're trying to help."

"I don't doubt that, but your reputation-"

"Hartley and Cisco are my friends. If their reputation paints them as anything less than good people who are trying their best, I don't want to hear it. I didn't come here to be lectured at."

"Then why did you come here?"

"You published a paper on the application of cryo-medicine recently," Caitlin said. Ice leaked from her fingers, and Iris rested a comforting hand on Caitlin's shoulder. "I think I need your help."

* * *

Her mother had cleared the rest of the day to help Caitlin run more tests.

She was a distant as Caitlin remembered. That didn't matter, she told herself, she had Iris.

Still.

She'd frozen two thousand degrees Celsius of tungsten, that would have been cool if it wasn't utterly terrifying.

"I assume these powers developed after the particle accelerator," Caitlin's mother said.

"Not exactly," Caitlin said.

"All the published theories are that the energies released from the accelerator caused metahumans."

"Actually, I think there's a gene that causes a mutation when exposed to a certain particle and an event. The particle has other sources, not just the accelerator."

"I'm sure Doctor Wells was very keen to point that out."

"This is my research, not his. He's gone. I got my powers six months ago and I don't want to talk about it."

"Caitlin-"

"I do not want to talk about it."

"Doctor Tannhauser?" Nigel, her mother's assistant, asked. "I've got those results. Doctor Snow is absorbing the heat."

* * *

Caitlin's mother had taken some blood, to run even more tests, and they'd argued. Again.

Caitlin had walked out.

And then Nigel, he- He wanted-

"We could learn so much," Nigel said. "I've been in your mother's shadow for too long, I won't be this time."

"Don't do this," Caitlin said.

"I need to learn more about your abilities."

"You're going to let us out," Iris said. She shielded Caitlin with her arm. "Right now."

"I can't do that. I have more tests to run."

"You're not going to test me," Caitlin said. She felt odd. Freezing. And there was so much heat around her, all she had to do was pull.

No. No, she couldn't do this, she wasn't Killer Frost, she was Caitlin Snow.

She wasn't going to let anyone trap her ever again. She couldn't. The door was shut and Zoom was standing next to it, she couldn't-

"Caitlin," her mother said. "You need to let Nigel go."

"It's all right, honey," Iris said. "It's all right."

"Zoom's here again."

"He's not, honey. He's dead. Remember? The Time Wraiths got him."

"He's there."

"Okay. Okay, honey, I'll call Vibe. It'll be all right. We just need you to let go of Nigel's arm, sweetheart. You can do that for me, can't you?"

"I don't- I-"

Caitlin stepped back. Nigel had ice forming around his forearm. Iris was shivering.

"I- I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"

"Darling, go back up to my office," Caitlin's mother said. "I'll handle this."

Caitlin clung onto Iris and let her take them upstairs. Iris put her jacket over Caitlin's shoulders. She was so cold.

Caitlin sat down when iris guided her to the chair. She could feel a little warmth in her toes again.

Icy footprints led from the door straight to her feet. Caitlin couldn't stop staring.

He mother walked in with tea. Caitlin looked down at the mug in her hands.

"Nigel is no longer employed by Tannhauser Industries," her mother said. "Nor will he receive any recommendations."

"Your hair's brown again," Iris said. "That's good."

"It turned white again?" Caitlin asked.

"Completely this time. And your eyes and lips were blue."

"Like hers."

"You are not her," Iris said. She took Caitlin's hands. "Look at me. You are not her."

"I hurt someone."

"I think Nigel not letting us leave triggered something. That's why you saw him, even though you haven't seen him since you got back."

"You said Zoom," Caitlin's mother said. "That monster even made the news out here, that awful night-"

"I work with the Flash," Caitlin said. "And Vibe and Pied Piper. That's why I know so much about metahumans. And Zoom, he... He was dying. He needed the Flash's speed. He gave it to Zoom, to save Iris' brother, and then he- Zoom wanted a doctor, and there was another me over there, on Earth-2 where Zoom was from, she went by Killer Frost and she tried to kill my friends. And then Zoom killed her in front of me.That's when I got my powers. That's why I have to get rid of them, I can't control them, I can't control any of this."

"Are the hallucinations common?"

"No," Iris said. "Caitlin had a couple when she first got back, but this is the first time it's happened since. It's not hard to see why."

"I assume you work with the Flash too?"

"Something like that."

"That's what you meant by partner?"

"No, I meant the dating kind," Caitlin said. "Iris and I have been together for three years. I'm pan ace, I figured it out during med school, but by then we were already hardly talking."

"I understand. I'm sorry, Caitlin. Losing your father was difficult."

"I know. I lost him too."

"I am sorry. I'll see if there's anything I can do."

"Thank you."

* * *

The train ride home was quiet. S.T.A.R. Labs was quiet; it was only Cisco, Lily, Linda, and Laurel in the Cortex when they got there.

"Hey, guys," Linda said. "Nice trip?"

"Iris met my mother," Caitlin said.

"You went to see her?" Cisco asked.

"I- I needed her help." Caitlin felt Iris' hand in hers. "I have powers."

"When did this happen?" Laurel asked. "When they recreated the accelerator to get Barry's speed back?"

"No, Caitlin wasn't in S.T.A.R. Labs then," Cisco said. "But he took you through a breach, and the breaches came from the Singularity, which gave Eddie his powers. I think they're a source of whatever particle triggers the metagene too."

"It's the same as she had," Caitlin said.

"Maybe the powers themselves are also partly determined by genetics?" Lily asked. "Or maybe it's because cold and speedsters don't mix well."

"It doesn't matter," Linda said. "You're still Caitlin. It hasn't changed that, and it won't."

"We still love you," Cisco said. "The only thing that will change is there will be an extra thing for Barry to make really bad puns about."

"Maybe that's why you have ice powers," Lily said. "The universe enjoys puns."

"Maybe," Caitlin mumbled. Iris squeezed her hand, and Caitlin smiled at her.

"So, what did you guys do?" Iris asked.

"Oh, there was a monster, but it turned out to be a kid with a hologram," Linda said.

"There was a what?"


	4. Dream and Reality

Barry was a mess when he answered the door. His hair was all over the place, his shirt was covered in something green, and he only had one sock on.

"Hi, Wally."

"I take it Iris is at work."

"They do not like peas this- Put that down!" Barry sped out of sight and Wally grinned as he closed the door. Barry had one of the twins in his arms.

"Barry, your sock's on fire."

"There goes another pair." Barry passed Don to Wally to take it off and vanished for a second. Dawn laughed when he came back. "I'm going to have to start wearing my Flash boots constantly. They said toddlers were hard to deal with, Wally, but not this hard."

"Most toddlers aren't speedsters."

"Wally!" Dawn said, arms outstretched. "Wally!"

"No!" Don said.

"You have to share Uncle Wally, munchkin," Barry said.

"No!"

"Hey, kid, watch this," Wally said. He shifted Don into one arm and picked Dawn up with the other. "Two arms for two babies."

"No," Don grumbled. They clung onto Wally's side, glaring at their sister.

"Looks like we know who the favourite uncle is," Barry said.

"I'm their only uncle," Wally said.

"Jay kind of is."

"I thought Jay was Speed Grandpa? At least, that's what Jenni called him."

"I don't think you'll get away with calling him that."

"Jay loves me, he'll be fine with it."

* * *

Caitlin had powers. That did explain some things. Or maybe it didn’t, either way as soon as she said it, it made sense to Wally.

Jenni, that was the girl from his other dream, he knew that. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he did. She was from the future. A speedster, like Barry and him.

But Wally wasn’t a speedster. Jesse had been affected by the second accelerator, not him. Or maybe by the breaches, if Cisco was right about that being how Caitlin got her powers. He’d been through a breach; he wasn’t a speedster.

Only, yesterday he was sure he’d seen Lily drop that test tube and he felt like he could have caught it.

* * *

Picture News was almost empty. Which made sense, it was the middle of the night.

Or late evening. Wally had gone to find Iris, maybe it was early evening. That was it. Iris and a familiar lady were the only two in the office.

“Wally!” Iris called. “Linda, this is my brother Wally, Wally, this is Linda Park, one of our top reporters.”

“Hi,” Wally said. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Linda said. “Have we met before?”

“Err.”

“You’ve probably just seen him around here,” Iris said. “Isn’t that right, Wally?”

“Err, yeah, probably. Or I do the mechanics for C.C.P.D., maybe we crossed paths in the station? I think I’ve seen you on the news, you covered the last few Flash stories, right?”

“I’ve done a few,” Linda said. Yeah, Wally knew that, he was the guy under the cowl she talked to.

“That’s cool,” Wally said. Why had he come to Picture News again?

Right, because Barry was on Earth-38 with Jesse and maybe Johnny and he expected to be late for dinner. No, wait, this was just a dream-

* * *

Wally walked into Jitters and waved at Jax.

“Hey man, you okay?” Jax asked.

“Yeah,” Wally said. “How long are the Legends in town?”

“Just a few days, I think Grey’s convinced Sara to go back to coming home every weekend, like we did over the summer.”

“Where did you end up?”

“A medieval court in Europe somewhere. With Grey at least. Sara got tried as a witch when she ended up, and Ray was in the Jurassic for six months.”

“What about Rip?”

“We don’t know. He left a hologram message which implies the worst.”

“Oh.”

“But who knows. We’ve got stuff to do. History to save.”

“Have you dropped Nate off yet?”

“Actually, he’s sticking around, and we’ve got a new friend from 1942. But Nate did say something about going to let his brother know where he is.”

“That’s good. He called Barry asking.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’ve just been getting weird dreams lately, Iris asked me the other day, so I guess I’ve been sleeping less than I thought.”

“Maybe you should take a break.”

“I’m not sure if I have time for that.”

“I have a time machine, we can go for a month long get away literally anywhere and come back to this exact moment.”

“Maybe next time, or maybe over the summer or something, without the time travel. It’s not like Team Labs couldn’t spare me for a few days, and I’ll have graduated by then hopefully.”

“Knowing the Legends, they’ll crash it two hours in, but that sounds good. I think Ray and Sara are over there.”

“Yeah, apparently Sara and Cisco stopped Top together over the summer and now they’re both trying to set Lily up with someone?”

“Should we help Lily?”

“Depends, do you want to be on Sara’s good side or Lily’s?”

“I’m staying out of it.”

“Good choice. If Rip’s gone...”

“Sara’s captain now. She’s really something.”

“Yeah,” Wally said, watching Jax’s face. “She sounds it.”

* * *

Barry looked as tired as Wally felt when he arrived for family dinner on Sunday.

“What’s going on with you two?” Wally’s dad asked.

“Nothing,” Barry said. He flinched at the raised eyebrow. “I was up late last night studying?”

“Is this computer programming again?” Wally asked.

“Hartley’s teaching me sign language,” Barry said. “In case I get stuck in a mirror again, or Black Siren comes back, or if we need to be quiet, or it’s too loud, or just for if Hartley feels-”

“Time to cool off, Scarlet Speedster,” Snart said. He shot a blast of ice at Wally, and Wally skittered out the way. He was outside a bank in Central in the red suit again, this wasn’t right.

Something hit Wally from behind and he flew back.

“Excellent timing, Piper,” Snart said

“Wally?” his dad asked. Wally blinked. Still sitting at the table at home. No Snart or Hartley, but his dad, Iris, and Barry all looked concerned.

“You zoned out there,” Iris said. “Is this still school?”

“Yeah,” Wally said. “No. Maybe. I’m just tired too, I must have been dozing off.”

“If you’re sure.”

* * *

Barry looked as tired as Wally felt when he finally re-joined them in the living room and sat next to Iris.

“They’re asleep,” he said. “Finally.”

“Have you thought about next Saturday yet?” Linda asked. Next Saturday? Oh, the opening of the Flash Museum, they’d invited both Flashes. Barry was mostly embarrassed, but he said he’d go if Wally did. Providing they could find a babysitter to deal with the tornado twins.

“I could ask Hal,” Barry said.

“Honey,” Iris said. “I know he’s your friend, but Hal is probably not the best babysitter?”

“Does he even know you have kids?” Wally asked. “It took him a year to realise Damian was Bruce’s son and the new Robin.”

“Okay, to be fair, he was in space,” Barry said. “No one can keep track of Bruce’s twenty thousand children in space. Besides, if any of them are going to pay attention to Bruce’s kids, it should be John, at least they’re from the same Earth.”

“Bruce does have a lot of children,” Linda said. “What about Dinah?”

“Did you and Bruce agree to this Justice League idea just so you could find babysitters?” Wally asked.

“No,” Barry said. “But it might have been on Ralph’s pros list for why I should reveal my secret identity?”

“Barry,” Iris said.

“It’s not why! Hal accidentally called me Barry in front of Bruce and Clark.”

“Of course he did.”

“And Batman?” Linda asked.

“It’s either so he can keep an eye on us, so he knows our weaknesses if we go rogue,” Wally said. “Or it was for the access to the only people who might stand a chance at successfully babysitting Damian and now he’s stuck with you.”

“You’re in the Justice League, dear. Bruce might be able to watch them for one night.”

 “He does have the childcare experience,” Iris said. “Or Dick, maybe. Or Alfred would be the best choice.”

“If we’re going to another Earth, we should just ask Jay,” Barry said. “But I think he’s busy with Joan.”

“Ralph and Sue?” Iris asked. “The twins love them.”

“Or I could just stay at home and look after them,” Barry said. “It’s not like the world is full of people who could handle toddler speedsters and I don’t mind not going.”

“They’re expecting us bo-”

A knock at the door interrupted Wally.

“I’ll get it,” Barry said. He ran over. “Oh. I think I might have a way to solve the babysitting issue.”

Wally, Iris, and Linda stood and turned around. Jenni and a boy with a huge amount of hair had their arms tight around Barry’s waist.

“Jenni?” Wally asked. “What are you doing here?”

“Grandma sent us,” Jenni said. “This is my cousin, Bart.”

“Hi-Uncle-Wally-I’m-Bart-it’s-short-for-Bartholomew-like-Grandpa-and-sometimes-people-call-me-Impulse-and-”

“Bart, you’re going too fast again,” Jenni said. “We need your help, Uncle Wally, Bart’s Speed Aging, his other grandfather had him in a virtual reality so he seems thirteen even though he’s supposed to be two, but Grandma broke him out and she said you and Aunt Linda could fix him because Irey and Jai were the same.”

“Irey and Jai?” Linda asked.

“I-think-we’re-too-early-Jenni,” Bart said, so quickly Wally had to concentrate to hear him. “Aunt-Linda-doesn’t-have-her-wedding-ring-on-which-means-Irey-and-Jai-can’t-be-born-yet.”

“I think they’re our kids,” Wally said. No, that wasn’t right, why were Barry and Iris married, why were he and Linda going to have kids, no, Bart said wedding ring and Wally had a ring in his bedside table, he was going to give it to Linda on Saturday at dinner, no, wait-

Wally was in the library, at college, why was he back here, he’d grad- No, he still had another year, he-

“Wally?” Kyle asked. Earth-2 G- No, his friend from Earth-1, this was all wrong-

“Wally, what’s wrong?” Donna asked.

“I have to go,” Wally said. “I have- Iris, I have to find Iris.”

“Do you need us to call her?”

“No, I’ll run. I’ll run; I have- Iris-”

Wally shot out the door. He could run faster than this, no he couldn’t, he wasn’t a speedster, he was the Flash, no-

“Wallace,” someone said. Wally couldn’t find the voice, he had to find Iris-

Wally had no idea how he’d got to Picture News, but he could see Iris wasn’t at her desk. Unless he was still dreaming, maybe he wasn’t even there-

Wally clutched his head.

“Wally?” Linda asked. Linda, he had to tell her about Irey and Jai. They- They-

“Wally, are you all right?” Linda asked. She really was beautiful. And clever, and brave, not many people would agree to help Barry was a stupid plan like faking his death as bait for Zoom before they even learnt his name, Wally couldn’t wait for Saturday to give her-

No, no, he had to wake up, he had to wake up-

“Wally, I think you need to sit down,” Linda said. She guided Wally to her chair. “Iris is out at the minute; do you need me to call her?”

“No,” Wally said. “No, it’s- I just have a headache, I’m fine. I just wanted to- I wanted to-”

“You are not fine,” Linda said.

This wasn’t a dream. This was real, the real Linda was in front of him.

Linda always knew. Linda always pulled him from the Speed Force, Linda was his lightning rod, she’d know, she’d know which one was real-

“I’m going to take you home,” Linda said. Wally nodded and followed Linda out to her car. He shut his eyes.

The skies were red. Wally was exhausted. He couldn’t do this for much longer.

He couldn’t stop.

“I worked it out,” he said.

“Worked what out?” Bart asked.

“Why you came back too early.”

“It was an accident,” Jenni said.

“Why you stuck around.”

“It’s safer for Bart here. I’ll go back soon.”

“You two knew this was coming. I’ve just watched Supergirl die. The skies are red, the multiverse is destabilising. Both your faces fall when Barry mentions wanting to see you grow up, and no one has come to find you. And the two of you showed up hours before Barry went missing.”

“We thought maybe if we could save him from the Anti-Monitor before, he wouldn’t die,” Jenni said.

“We can save him, can’t we?” Bart asked. “If Grandpa lives, then maybe everyone else will too?”

“I hope so,” Wally said. “There’s only one way to be sure. We’ll save Barry. Together.”

The hand on his shoulder didn’t fit.

“Wally,” Linda said. “Wake up.”

He opened his eyes. He was in Linda’s car, Bart and Jenni, they had to save Barry-

“Wallace,” a voice said. “Come and find me.”

“I don’t know,” Linda said. “He was like this when he walked in. He said it was a headache.”

“Wally.” His dad was kneeling by the car door. Was Wally still in the car? This had to be one of Faust’s tricks, maybe he’d joined the villains taking advantage of the situation, or Barry had said the Anti-Monitor had used Psycho-Pirate’s powers to trap him- No, Dad and Linda were the real ones, this was-

“We have to save Barry,” Wally said. “Dad, he’s going to die.”

“Linda,” Wally’s dad said.

She nodded.

His dad helped Wally out the car and inside.

“I need you to talk to me, Wally. What happened?”

“Where are Impulse and XS?”

“Who?”

Barry appeared in a flash next to Wally’s dad.

"What's going on?"

"You have to let me do it," Wally said. "You have to let me, you'll die, they said you'd die-"

"Wally, hey, I'm right here. I'm fine."

"No, the Anti-Monitor, he was right there-"

"The what?" Linda asked.

"Wally," his dad said. "Look at me. You're at home. I'm here. Barry and Linda are here. It's just us."

"I think I'm dreaming."

"Is this to do with your nightmares?" Barry asked. Linda and Wally's dad both looked at him. "Wally had a nightmare a few weeks ago, we thought maybe Cisco vibed me and sent me. Wally told me it was just a bad dream and he was fine."

Wally remembered that. He'd dreamt about the Crisis before, that was the dream. Dad, Linda, and Barry, they were real. This was real.

"This is real."

"It is," his dad said. "You're safe, Wally, I've got you. You said Barry was going to die. Did something happen?"

"I keep dreaming it. The- The newspaper, I keep dreaming the newspaper. But it's not just that, it's this whole other life, I have powers, I'm the Flash like Barry, the one Clariss remembered."

"You've been dreaming about having powers. Wally, that's what Frankie described before she started hearing Alchemy's voice."

"I know. They were just at night before but now they're while I'm awake too, and they feel real. It's real, Dad."

"Joe, I think we need to get him to S.T.A.R. Labs," Barry said. "Cisco might know what to do."

"Run us," Wally's dad said. "As fast as you can, Barry."

* * *

Barry sat Wally in the chair in Cisco's lab.

"Everyone else is in the Cortex trying to deal with this Shade guy," Cisco said. "What's the emergency?"

"Wally's dreaming he's a speedster," Wally's dad said.

"And more than that," Wally said.

Cisco nodded.

"They're while I'm awake too."

"I see."

"Are you going to vibe me?"

"No, you're going to tell me about your dreams. Sit still, can one of you hold his hand or something?"

Barry vanished then reappeared with another chair. Wally's dad sat next to Wally and squeezed his hand.

"Now, Wally," Cisco said, "I need you to close your eyes and focus on my voice. Can you do that?"

"Yes," Wally said. Images flashed past his eyelids, and Wally gripped his dad's hand.

"I need you to picture immediately before the Crisis. Where are you?"

"At home with Linda," Wally said. She smiled at him, her lips moving.

"And what are you doing?" Cisco's voice cut through, drowning out Linda's.

"Talking. They're opening a Flash Museum tomorrow and Barry and Iris still don't have a babysitter. Their grandchildren came to ask for help, they got distracted. We've met Jenni before. They mentioned our children, Linda's talking about the future, she doesn't know I'm planning on taking her to dinner after the museum opening and proposing."

"Then what?"

The phone next to Wally rang. He answered.

"Iris is calling. There was a weird storm in Gotham yesterday morning, Barry went to help Batwoman and her Batgirls, he's still not home. I'm going to go and look for him. I forgot I left the ring box by the bed, Linda's going to find it."

"Okay," Cisco said. "Barry's missing, there's a weird storm. Do you find him?"

"Yes. Bart and Jenni came to help, despite all of us telling them not to. He's escaped the Anti-Monitor, but he's already destroyed half the multiverse. Earth-38 is gone. He tried to kill Superman, but Supergirl sacrificed herself to save him."

"What's he using to destory the multiverse?"

"A cannon. He wanted Barry to power it. It's chaos; most of the League's villains are trying to spin the situation to their advantage, the timeline is collapsing. Central's in the middle of it. Barry told me you, Charmer, and Revreb are trying to stabilise what's left of the multiverse, Booster, Goldstar, Rip, and Miranda are trying to fix the timeline, Jay's going to distract Eobard, we have to destory the cannon."

"Then what?"

"We run. It's working, but Eobard tackles me. Barry's running on his own, I can see him fading. Bart and Jenni admitted earlier they came back too early because Barry died with the Anti-Monitor and they wanted to save him. Eobard runs in and I watch Barry disappear, then there's an expolsion."

"And that's as far as you dream."

"Yes."

"Can you tell me who else is in Central with you? The heroes. Charmer and Reverb."

"I don't know where they are. I just know Vibe sent Barry the message. I can see Hawkgirl, Elongated Man, and Atom, but I think everyone is here, more or less."

"What about Hartley?"

"I've seen him, he's helping. I knew there was good in him. Even Snart's sort of helping, but Hartley's the one who's been trying to leave crime behind. I think the Rogues are more helping because they can't rob banks if there are no more banks."

"Is Sara Lance there?"

"Who? Dinah and Oliver are. No, wait, I do know Sara, and it's Laurel, I-"

"It's okay, Wally, you can open your eyes now," Cisco said. Wally opened them to see three concerned faces and Cisco's nodding. "Good news, you're not dreaming about the future."

"But the newspaper-"

"You're dreaming about a Crisis, it could be similar to what happens, but you're not dreaming about our future."

"You're sure."

"Snart's dead. Hartley's not a Rogue. Sara's in our newspaper now. Reverb's dead."

"Not that Reverb."

"All right. But you said Barry and Iris, our newspaper says West-Snow now. It was the old newspaper that said West-Allen."

"You think Wally's dreaming about the original timeline?" Barry asked.

"I'm almost positive. He's not seeing you die, he's seeing you and Reverse Flash time travel, that's why he can't dream past this Crisis, that's the point the timeline was altered. That's what Alchemy is doing, he's giving people the powers they had in that timeline."

"How do we stop it?" Wally's dad asked.

"I don't know. Frankie's dreams only stopped after she found Alchemy. I can talk to her and ask her how bad they got before, but I think if Wally's already started confusing the two realities, it won't be long before Alchemy comes for him."

"He's not touching Wally."

"I heard a voice," Wally said. "At home. Was that him?"

"Wally," Linda said.

"I think I have to go."

"No," Wally's dad said. "You don't."

"I don't think I could stop myself, Dad. And we can use it to find him and stop him."

"Absolutely not."

"But I can-"

"This is too dangerous. I'm not letting you put yourself in this much danger."

"Dad-"

"Wallace Rudolph West-"

"Maybe we could work everything out after we catch Shade?" Barry suggested. "Maybe?"

"This is too dangerous, there's nothing to discuss."

"But we don't know how Alchemy is doing this. Which means we don't know how to stop it. And Wally did save me on Earth-2."

"No."

* * *

"Hey, Walls," Iris said. She sat next to him in the corner of the Cortex. "You okay?"

"At the moment," Wally said. "My head just hurts."

"Yeah. Do you want a distraction? Dad's got a date Thursday."

"With D.A. Horton? Did he tell you?"

"He turned her down the other day for movie night, so I may have suggested he suggest another day. And Laurel said she was happy earlier, then Dad said he's busy Thursday when I very subtly asked him."

"Shade's at Hofherr Park," Cisco said from the middle of the Cortex. "There's a film screening there tonight."

Wally watched Barry and Hartley shoot off, then clutched his head.

"Wally?"

"Wallace West," another voice drowned out Iris'. "It's time. You can have it all back. All you have to do is find me."

His head was pounding.

"I can stop the pain, Wallace. Give you the powers you've been dreaming of. Find me, Wally."

Black was closing in.

"I've got you, Wally," Iris said. "I've got you."

* * *

There was a force field surrounding Wally. He knew this room.

"Dad?"

"It's all right, Wally," his dad said. "It's all right."

"Dad, you have to let me out."

"Lily, can you-"

"I don't think that's a good idea yet," Lily said. "I'm sorry, Wally."

"Find me, Wallace," the voice said again. Alchemy. Wally's head was throbbing, he had to listen to the voice.

"Dad, I have to get out. Please. It hurts."

"Tell me you've thought of something," Wally's dad said.

"No," Lily said. "Without knowing how Alchemy is doing this, we don't know how to stop it. We barely stopped him before."

"Dad, I think Wally's right," Iris said. "I think we have to let him go."

"We don't know what Alchemy will do to him."

"It's better than this."

"I can do it, Dad," Wally said.

* * *

Barry, Cisco, and Hartley were all in their suits, and Wally's dad had explained everything to Captain Singh and gotten C.C.P.D. involved too.

Still.

"We don't have to do this," his dad said.

"I think I do," Wally said.

"You're scared. That's normal, Wally. I'm scared."

"You are?"

"My kid is in danger, I'm terrified. Scared is good, scared keeps us on alert."

"Fight or flight, right."

"You're not going to be alone. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, none of us are."

"Wallace," Alchemy said.

"I can hear him again," Wally said. "It's this way."

Wally led them down into the old subway station. His dad hung back out of sight, but not far enough Wally couldn't see him if he turned his head.

There were more people in the room than just Alchemy. All of them were wearing robes that hid their faces, and Alchemy had a mask on. It looked like one of those old plague masks Wally had only seen pictures of, and it completely hid his face.

"Wallace West," he said.

"I heard you calling me," Wally said. "I came."

"You did well, my friend."

"I've been having dreams. Dreams where I have powers, where I'm a speedster."

"Where you're the Flash. I can give you that back. You can have that life; all you have to do is touch the Philosopher's Stone."

Wally could see Jenni again, running ahead of him and laughing. Barry was next to him, and a blonde woman around their age was the other side of Barry, looking over at Wally with a fond look in her eyes. Jay was on Wally's other side, and Wally's mother was next to him.

Wally hesitated.

"Take the stone, Wallace," Alchemy said. "Isn't that the life you want? Powers, a family-"

"I have a family," Wally said. "I want you to stop hurting people."

Wally's dad rushed down, and Barry, Cisco, and Hartley appeared in the room.

"A trap, Wally?"

Alchemy's followers scattered as Wally's dad rushed in, and Wally was pushed back against the wall gently, with Barry's arm shielding him from the fray.

"You can't stop this, Flash," Alchemy sneered. "The boy has a destiny."

"I refuse to believe in destiny," Barry said. "You're going to go quietly, and you're going to tell us how to help Wally."

"There is only one way."

Barry rushed forward and knocked Alchemy to the floor. The stone fell from his grasp and skittered across the floor. Wally watched it come to a standstill a few metres from him.

And all the officers bar Wally's dad fell to the floor. Barry stopped and looked around the room.

Alchemy vanish from under Barry.

"Vibe, get everyone out, now," Barry said.

And then Barry was against the wall, feet off the ground, struggling and gasping for breath.

"Flash," Cisco said.

Barry was thrown across the room by something. He was on the ceiling, on the floor, against the wall-

"Vibe, do something," Wally's dad said.

"I can't," Cisco said. "I can't see it."

Barry's forehead was bleeding, but he was moving too fast for any of them to see. All they knew was that Barry was in trouble.

Red skies and lightning filled Wally's vision.

"Flash!"

Dad. Whatever that thing was, it had taken Barry.

The stone gave people powers. Barry was the only one who's seen whatever it was when it had knocked out everone else, it was moving so fast, Barry needed another speedster. Jay and Jesse were on their Earths, it would take too long for them to get there.

Dream Wally was a speedster.

"You're my brother," Barry's voice said. "It wasn't even a choice."

"Wally, stop!" his dad shouted.

Wally grabbed the stone.

* * *

The next thing Wally knew, he was at S.T.A.R Labs with Caitlin and Henry standing over him. His dad, Iris, and Barry were hovering by the door to Caitlin's lab.

Caitlin was shining a light in his eyes.

"It's all right, Wally," Henry said. "Just take it easy."

"You're all right, son," Wally's dad said. "Does it still hurt?"

"No," Wally said. "I feel... I feel... Like there's this static under my skin wanting to get out."

"I know how to fix that," Barry said. He darted out the room, lightning trailing after him, and Wally blinked. He could still see Barry, he could see when Barry re-entered carrying some shoes, he shouldn't be able to see that.

Barry smiled and offered Wally the shoes.

"Is that a good idea?" Wally's dad asked.

Barry shrugged.

"Wally's vitals all look fine," Caitlin said. "It might help make sure of that."

* * *

Lightning cackled around him. Wind rushed past his face, and Wally couldn't help but laugh. Barry was running next to him, and he could finally see the sheer joy on Barry's face as he ran. Wally had no doubts it was exhoed on his own.

This? This was the greatest feeling he'd ever felt; he was never driving anywhere ever again.

The two of them skidded out the Speed Lab. Wally's dad looked nervous, but Iris and Caitlin were both smiling.

Something was glowing blue around Caitlin's wrists.

"Everything looks fine," Caitlin said.

"And you're faster than Barry was at first," Hartley said. Wally grinned.

"I'm going to knit more socks," Lily said.

"And you're all right now," Linda said. "You've stopped..."

"I feel incredible," Wally said.

"Wally, you know that just because you have powers now, you're not obligated to use them, don't you?" Iris asked. "Alchemy didn't give you a choice-"

"It was my choice," Wally said. "Barry needed a speedster's help. That invisible thing-"

"He called himself Cobalt," Barry said. "He had some kind of metal armour, and blue lightning. And he was fast, even I felt like I was just disappearing and reappearing in another place. Alchemy works for him."

"Caitlin froze him, and Cisco blasted him," Eddie said. "But that  was only a temporary retreat. He'll be back."

"I can help," Wally said.

"You nearly died earlier," his dad said.

"I'm fine, Dad. I want to help."

"Barry could train him," Laurel said. "I don't think you're going to be able to stop him, Joe."

"I can definitely train Wally," Barry said.

"Fine," Wally's dad said. "You can train, but you don't go against Cobalt on your own."

"I promise," Wally said.

"I'll get started on a suit," Cisco said. "I'm thinking yellow and red."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some slight internet troules today, but I have notes:
> 
> 1) I feel like I should say here that Nora's trans in 'verse and (since it was all kind of plotted ish while series 4 was airing) is a little different, so she's in this chapter, however since the twins are tiddlers here, Nora's probably not even worked herself out yet let alone told anyone (also toddlers don't know many words), so she's not called Nora just yet. And I hope it's written ok?
> 
> 2) I looked up cobalt on wikipedia and apparently the name comes from a German word, kobold, which is a type of goblin and also the metal is often found in ores which also contain arsenic, and it's in B12 which you need for your metabolism (too much is bad for you though), and because it's stable at high temperatures and wear resistant it's used for things like jet engines and power tools (in alloys), and lithium ion batteries, which seemed to fit with speedsters (unless I misread something). Also cobalt's atomic number is 27 which is how old Barry, Iris, Cisco, and Linda are at this point, which is a coincidence
> 
> 3) There's a comic panel somewhere where Hal does call Barry Barry in front of Batman and Superman while telling Barry not to give away his secret identity.


	5. Alien Arrivals

Living with his dad was nice. Spending time with him was nice, especially without a sheet of glass between him and Barry, and guards watching everything.

Staying with Eddie was also nice. Barry flitted between the two a lot. He even had a toothbrush in Eddie's bathroom.

And now he got to run with Wally too, that was amazing. He had someone to share running with and it was Wally.

Cisco had almost mastered inter-dimensional breaches, Caitlin was feeling a little more confident with the meta-cufffs currently dampening her powers, aside from Cobalt and Alchemy, life seemed to be going well.

Barry should really tell them what had happened with Zoom.

The other Barry wouldn't mind, right? He hadn't- He hadn't stolen anyone's life; this was his life. He remembered it. He remembered growing up with Iris and Joe. He remembered years visiting his dad in Iron Heights. He remembered meeting Eddie for the first time.

Time remnants had to be a last resort. There hadn't been a choice, someone had to destroy the Magnetar and someone had to stop Zoom, there hadn't been a choice. And one of them had to die.

Except it was supposed to be him, really, wasn't it. He was supposed to be the dead one, Barry was supposed to be the one who walked away and got all this. He was just supposed to draw the Time Wraiths to Zoom while Barry saved the multiverse.

Wally and Jesse had powers now. There was Jay. He had help. He wouldn't ever need to make a time remnant.

* * *

"How many of these do I have to eat?" Wally asked.

Barry and Wally had run to S.T.A.R. Labs early to train first thing, watched by Cisco and Eddie, and Barry had made sure to give Wally some of his energy bars for the rest of the day. So far, he'd had one bite.

"What does that tone mean?" Cisco asked.

"Nothing," Barry said. "They taste fine."

"I didn't have a tone," Wally said.

Cisco frowned at them, took a tiny piece of the bar off Wally, put it on his tongue, then spat it out again.

"Barry, that tastes like cardboard, why didn't you say something sooner? It's been two years."

"You made them for me," Barry said. "And I've eaten worse."

"I can believe that," Eddie said. "You should have seen his toast this morning."

"What was wrong with my toast?"

"It was black, Barry."

"It was just a bit crispy, I scraped it first."

"The toaster was on fire."

"Oh yeah, I got distracted, I'll get you a new one."

"Do you care at all about what you put in your body?" Cisco asked. Barry shrugged again.

"I have a super metabolism, it's not like it's a huge problem."

"But you grew up with Dad cooking," Wally said. "And Henry, and he says Nora enjoyed cooking too."

"I also grew up with Iris attempting to cook," Barry said. "Have you ever had Iris' macaroni cheese?"

"I thought you liked my macaroni," Iris said. Barry spun around to see her in the doorway with a raised eyebrow.

"I do," Barry said. "But you do make the opposite ratio of macaroni to cheese compared to every other person who has ever put them together. I don't mind, I like cheese, but you definitely cannot give that to anyone with a lactose intolerance."

"I think we should go to work before you dig yourself a deeper hole," Eddie said. Barry nodded.

"See you later," Cisco said. "I will work on the cereal bars." He looked at his tablet. "Right after I check on this satellite."

"Need a hand?" Wally asked.

"No, you guys go, I've got this."

* * *

Julian Albert was a mystery. Barry had really thought he'd made a break-through when that monster thing had shown up, but it seemed to be back to same old frosty Julian today. Okay, sometimes people clashed and sometimes people just didn't like each other, but Barry had really hoped he could change that. They worked in the same lab, at least civilly accepting each other would be really helpful.

Also, Eddie and Joe had both told him to try and be nice.

It was difficult though.

There was always next week.

Maybe.

If the fact Lyla was standing next to Captain Singh in the doorway to his lab wasn't a bad sign.

Who was he kidding, this was bad.

"Allen, this is Director Michaels of A.R.G.U.S.," Captain Singh said. "She has some questions for you."

"You do?"

"You were the lead C.S.I. on the King Shark case, weren't you?" Lyla asked. Barry nodded. "And most of Zoom's associates."

"Yes," Barry said. Julian frowned at him.

"This might take all day, Captain," Lyla said. Captain Singh nodded.

"I've just got a report for Mary to finish," Barry said. "It'll only take a few minutes, then I guess I could use a sick day for this?"

Barry used his speed to type quickly. Lyla and Captain Singh both knew, and hopefully Julian wouldn't notice. He hit the print button and gave it to Captain Singh.

Lyla waited until they were alone in her car to explain.

"I assume you missed the satellite that fell this morning."

"Vibe said he could handle it," Barry said. "Was it A.R.G.U.S.?"

"Alien. And it wasn't a satellite, it was a ship."

"Awesome."

"Not awesome, Barry. This isn't the first time the Dominators have visited Earth."

"That name does not sound promising."

"I'll give you a full debrief when we get back to S.T.A.R., but no, it is not. A.R.G.U.S. has a lot of intel, but it's being handled by an N.S.A. agent by the name of Smith. I don't trust him."

"What do you need my help with?" Barry asked. "Last time you asked for help, King Shark had escaped, is there an alien running around Central City?"

"It's closer to the last time you asked for my help," Lyla said. Barry gulped. "I need you to stop an alien invasion."

* * *

"Well," Lily said when they'd reached S.T.A.R. Labs and Lyla had explained to Cisco, Hartley, Lily, and Caitlin. "That sounds totally feasible."

"You need more sleep," Hartley said. "We can't do it on our own."

"I'm under orders," Lyla said. "I can't this time."

"Maybe not," Barry said. "But can we borrow your husband?"

"We have a way to contact the _Waverider_ now," Caitlin said. "What about the other Firestorm?"

"I dropped Mister Raymond off on Earth-2 last night," Cisco said. "He's only got a week off, I don't want to drag Ronnie away from that. Jesse's only just got her powers."

"Maybe back-up," Barry said. "What about Supergirl?"

"Who?" Lyla asked.

"Supergirl, I ran to her Earth by accident a few months ago. She's an alien but she's nice, and she can definitely handle and alien invasion."

"Maybe Vixen," Hartley said. "It's been a while since we've seen her."

"It's an All-Star team up, baby," Cisco cheered. "Barry, bring Team City to Ferris Air, I have a really good idea."

* * *

Oliver- once again- did not look thrilled when Barry saved him from whoever he was fighting.

Dig was sick. Again.

"Sorry," Barry said. "Hi."

"I don't suppose you paid attention to which was Vigilante went?" Oliver asked.

"I was paying more attention to stopping him shooting you," Barry shrugged. The door opened and Thea walked in.

"Hi, Flash," she said. "Oliver, I need you to sign some things before you go stop another evil speedster or immortal guy or whatever."

"Alien invasion," Barry said. Thea looked at him. "A ship crashed in Central earlier and Lyla asked if we could help out."

"Lyla asked you?" Dig asked.

"Aliens?" Thea asked.

"They're called Dominators," Barry said.

"Why is it, whenever you show up, things get weird?" Dig asked.

"Barry," Oliver said. "How exactly were you planning on dealing with an alien invasion?"

"You know. You two. Hartley. Cisco. Me. The Legends. Supergirl if we can find out which Earth she's from."

"I'll help," Thea said.

"I thought you were retiring," Oliver said.

"I am. But you need all the help you can get with aliens, right? And we can visit Laurel."

"I think she's at work," Barry said. "But we would love your help. Cisco said something about Ferris Air, I can run-"

"Do not," Dig said.

"We'll make our own way," Oliver said. "I'll get Felicity."

* * *

"Right," Cisco said once Barry had run back to Ferris Air. "Lily's sent a message to the Legends, let's try Earth hopping again."

"We can rule out Earth-2 and Earth-3," Barry said.

"And we've tried Earths four to seventeen."

"Let's hope it's Earth-18."

* * *

Kara did not live on Earth-18.

Cisco opened the breach directly into her apartment, which might be rude, but Kara rushed over to hug Barry anyway.

"You're back!"

"I'm back! This is my friend Cisco."

"Nice to meet you," Cisco said. "Never go to Earth-33, that place is so weird."

"What?"

"You're Earth-38," Barry said. "Next time Cisco can probably breach us right here."

"Yeah, I can do that," Cisco said. "This isn't a friendly visit, Supergirl. Well, it is, we've been looking for the right Earth for months because Barry wanted to introduce us, but..."

"We actually need your help," Barry said.

"Of course," Kara said. "What's going on?"

"There's some aliens come to invade our Earth; they're called Dominators."

"I know about them from Krypton, they're not nice. Just let me call my sister and tell her I'm going to Earth-1."

"Oh, your sister's back, that's awesome. Is Lucy still at the D.E.O.?"

"Not at the minute," Kara said. "J'onn's back, our first boss, he's from Mars."

"Cool."

"Barry," Cisco said.

"Last time I was here no one even noticed I'd gone; I think I reappeared at the exact same time I vanished."

"So, time travels differently on your Earth?" Kara asked.

"Or he time travelled again," Cisco said. "He does that sometimes."

"My cousin did that once."

"I guess we'll see when we get there," Barry said.

* * *

"Time definitely passes," Cisco said. "I'm really hoping the aliens didn't invade while we were busy Earth hopping."

"Team City aren't here yet," Barry said. He turned to Kara. "They got the train because they refused to let me run them."

"I'll introduce you," Cisco said. "Barry?"

"Next stop, Detroit," he said. "Be back in a flash."

* * *

Mari was at her hide-out when Barry ran in. An elephant glowed behind her and Mari let go of her totem.

"It's just me!" Barry said. "Sorry."

"You could have called," Mari said.

"Yeah, that would have made more sense. There's an alien invasion."

"Excuse me?"

"Aliens from space. The invading kind, not the nice kind. I know there's a nice kind because I have a friend from a parallel universe who is one of the nice kinds."

"And you need help," Mari said.

"I would love some help. If you're free. No rush, Oliver and Dig refused to let me run them, and we're still waiting on the Legends."

"Sure, why not. I'll call Kendra and Carter and see if they can fly up. Meeting in Central?"

"You know Ferris Air, right?"

"Yeah. Be there soon."

"Thanks, Mari!"

Barry shot out the door.

* * *

The _Waverider_ landed just as Barry reached Central again. He caught his breath for a millisecond, then rushed to where Cisco and Felicity were waiting.

Sara was the first out, and Lily nearly flew over to hug Martin and Jax.

"Hey guys," Sara said. "Aliens?"

"Aliens," Cisco said. "Team City just got here. Hey, Supergirl!"

Kara flew over and Sara whistled.

"Hi! I'm Kara."

"You want to be Team From The?" Cisco asked.

"What?"

"We're Team Labs because we're based at S.T.A.R. Labs, Oliver and co are Team City because they're from Star City-"

"We are not called that," Felicity said.

"And when we team up, we're the All-Stars. So, From The as from the stars?"

"We don't have a star name," Jax said.

"Let me get on that."

"Or you could just rename the team up," Laurel said. She hugged Sara.

"I thought you had work," Barry said.

"I did. Then Thea called and said she was on her way to Central and mentioned an alien invasion. I'm not suiting up just yet, but you need all the help you can get."

"Mari's on her way, she's calling Kendra and Carter too."

"Oh," Ray said. "Um."

"I thought you were okay about what happened between you and Kendra?" Jax asked.

"I am. It's just, um, so, um, Barry, can I talk to you?"

"Sure," Barry said. He followed Ray slightly to the side. "What's up?"

"We have a new crew member."

"Nate, I know."

"No, um, her name's Amaya Jiwe. She was a member of the Justice Society of America in the forties, she stowed away after a time traveller killed Rex Tyler, thinking it was one of us, and she has a totem from Zambesi and goes by Vixen."

"Mari inherited her totem."

"I know Mari doesn't know more than Kuasa. But I'm fairly sure Amaya is her grandmother."

"Okay." Barry pulled out his phone and called Mari.

"That was quick," she said.

"Ray thinks the Legends recruited your grandmother."

"Excuse me?"

"Her name is Vixen too."

"Huh. And knowing too much about your future is bad, so I probably shouldn't come to Central."

"I'm guessing it would not be good. Which kind of sucks because I like you and we hardly ever get to see each other."

"I'll keep an eye out for aliens here. Maybe drop by in a few days to say hi."

"Thanks, Mari. Here, Ray can explain better."

Barry passed him the phone.

"Hi, Mari," Ray said.

* * *

"Let me see if I've got this right," Kara said. "Vibe or Cisco, Pied Piper or Hartley, Caitlin, Lily, and Laurel who was Black Canary?"

"Team Labs," Cisco said. "We'll introduce you to Joe, Iris, Linda, Eddie, Henry, and Kid Flash later. Wow, we're growing."

"I thought Wally said anything but Kid Flash," Caitlin said.

"Didn't you suggest Lightning Lad?" Lily asked.

"That got a harder pass than Kid Flash, so it will do for now," Cisco said.

"Then there's Team City?" Kara asked.

"Team Arrow," Oliver said. "Cisco is the only one who calls us that."

"I call you that," Barry said.

"You picked your superhero name based on your ability to make puns, I will not take name proposals from you."

"And you're Oliver," Kara said. "Or Green Arrow. And Spartan or John or Diggle, Speedy or Thea, and Overwatch or Felicity?"

"That's us," Thea said. "We left Mister Terrific, Wild Dog, and Ragman back in Star."

"Oh. And then there's Canary or Sara, Atom or Ray, Firestorm which is Martin and Jax, Martin is Lily's dad, and Heatwave or Mick?"

"Plus Nate, Amaya, and Gideon are still on the ship," Ray said. "Not that Gideon can leave the ship."

"And they're the Losers of Tomorrow," Cisco said.

"You're just annoyed you can't think of a star name for us," Sara said. "Listen to Laurel and think of a better team-up name."

"I'm insulted. You insult me, Lance, this is why Laurel is my favourite."

"Laurel's my favourite too. How come we don't have a double act name?"

"A what name?" Oliver asked. "Are you two e-mail pen-pals or something?"

Cisco and Sara looked at each other.

"The _Waverider_ can obviously make video calls, Ollie," Sara said. "And we're in Central pretty much every weekened so Martin and Jax can see their families, and with Laurel mostly in Central now I've hung out at S.T.A.R. Labs?"

"Plus, I made her suit," Cisco said. "Laurel gave me the measurements for the first one, but Sara had some design input. Lily and I make almost all the suits. Barry does the masks like yours, but the rest is us."

"Anyway, Cisco and I are friends now," Sara said. "Sometimes we blow stuff up."

"I thought we told you to stop doing that?" Caitlin asked.

"And that's why I invite Sara instead of you. Also, we stopped a metahuman together. Top broke out of Iron Heights, but we got her again."

"Really?"

"Her boyfriend showed up with superpowers, Mirror Master can travel through reflective surfaces, that includes the glass in Iron Heights."

"I don't think I understand most of what you just said," Oliver said.

"Just go with it," Hartley said. "There happens to be aliens about to invade. Laurel, any suggestions?"

"We haven't all worked together before," Laurel said. "Nor do we know much about what the Dominators are planning yet."

"I need a new suit first," Ray said. "It got blown up in Japan after a samurai stole it, but we found some more Dwarf Star in the Old West."

"Why am I friends with time travellers," Dig muttered to himself.

"Cisco and I can help," Lily said.

"I can see what I can find about the Dominators?" Felicity said.

"The rest of us should train," Oliver said. "Against Kara would be best."

"Great," Kara said. She hovered above the ground. "What, all of you?"

"I'll be on your side," Hartley said.

"And I am going to get the first aid kit ready," Caitlin said.

* * *

Barry retreated to the S.T.A.R. Labs van for a quick nap while everyone else trained. Kara and Hartley seemed to be winning.

Eddie was calling him.

"Hey," Barry said. "Sorry, I..."

"Captain Singh said you got pulled away by A.R.G.U.S. to use your C.S.I. knowledge of King Shark?"

"Actually, Lyla asked if we could stop an alien invasion, but I guess she didn't realise Captain Singh knows I'm the Flash."

"An alien invasion?"

"Yeah. That satellite this morning was actually an alien spaceship."

"Be careful, Barry."

"I will. I promise. The Legends are here, and Oliver, Thea, Felicity, and Dig, and Cisco and I found Supergirl."

"Good. Are you at S.T.A.R. Labs.?"

"Ferris Air."

"I'll meet you after work. I love you, Barry."

"Love you too. Everything will be fine."

Barry hung up, and Martin and Jax opened the door. He smiled.

Martin and Jax did not.

"Is it really bad?" Barry asked.

"We have something to show you," Jax said. "We found it in a secret room in the _Waverider_. No one else knows yet, but you have to."

Jax hit play on a recording.

"Captain Hunter, it's the Flash," Barry's voice said. "There's a war coming to Central City and the timeline has changed. When you get there, you cannot trust anyone, especially not me. Do not trust Barry Allen."

"It was sent in 2056," Jax said.

"We have to tell everyone," Barry said.

"Now? Is that a good idea?"

"We can't keep this secret," Barry said. He opened the van's door. "Caitlin? I think we need a team meeting."

* * *

Everyone nodded at the message.

"The timeline changed," Sara said. "When?"

"You time travelled after the battle with Savage," Oliver said.

"Accidentally," Barry said. "I told you there are repecussions if you don't keep it the same."

"You also told me you saw Central detroyed and all of us, die," Oliver said. Barry focused on his feet.

"The only change when you asked Thawne how to get faster was me finding out about Time Wraiths," Hartley said.

"Which we can confirm because it's literally my superpower, and we checked," Cisco said.

"And I believe Ronald and I were quite clear on what you should do after Mark Mardon," Martin said.

"Even though..."

"Being kidnapped is better than Central being destroyed and Cisco being dead," Lily said.

"Dante agrees," Hartley said. He glared at Mick. "But if you ever try that again-"

"He won't," Ray said.

"Or Thawne spent fifteen years changing the timeline," Caitlin said. "Maybe the message is talking about him?"

"I checked that day too, Barry," Cisco said.

"What day?" Sara asked. Barry nodded at Cisco.

"Zoom nearly killed Henry. Barry was really not doing okay. He'd just come out of the Speed Force and they'd told him he hadn't accepted what happened to Nora, so, well, he needed to say goodbye. The only thing that changed is Barry made sure his mother knew he'd be all right, and she didn't die alone."

"Barry..." Kara trailed off.

"That's not what it means," Barry whispered.

"You can't just change time," Sara said.

"Isn't that what you do all the time?" Lily asked.

"She's got a point," Mick shrugged.

"Look, Barry-"

"I'm not," he said. Sara withdrew the hand that was reaching for his shoulder. "I'm not Barry. That's what it means."

"Zoom," Caitlin said. He nodded.

"I was just supposed to draw the Time Wraiths out, so they'd catch him, I wasn't supposed to survive, Barry was, I'm just his echo-"

"What?"

Wally ran in and straight up to him.

"Tell me. Now."

"I was running. I knew I couldn't stop the Magnetar and Zoom, I didn't know what to do, I'm fast but I can't be in two places at once. And then a wormhole opened and I ran out. Only, not me, me from the future. He'd run back a few seconds before he left and created a time remnant. Me. He ran to the Magnetar, and I went to fight Zoom. I didn't need to win, I just needed to get the Time Wraiths there. That was my purpose, but then he died, and I didn't know how to tell you. You were all upset thinking it was me, how was I supposed to say it was the real Barry who died, not me? And then that must have made the newspaper change, so now it's you who dies in 2024 because Barry isn't-"

"That's it," Hartley said. "What's your mother's maiden name?"

"Thompson?"

"And your brother's name?"

"Malcolm," Barry said. Wally coughed. "And Wally."

"What did you say when you walked into C.C.P.D. for the first time after you woke up?" Hartley asked.

"I apologised to Captain Singh for being late and breaking the lab."

"Seriously?" Wally asked. Caitlin nodded.

"The point is, Bartholomew," Hartley said. "You have got an entire life's worth of memories as Barry Allen. You are clearly solid, you feel, that makes you real. We don't know how time remnants work. Maybe by time travelling he's the remnant. When you ran back before the Time Wraiths were after future you, not past you. Maybe you're the Barry from our timeline and he's from another, the point is you are my friend, I trust you, and no message from the future is going to change that, no matter who sent it."

"And maybe it being 2056 means we find you again," Wally said. "The newspaper just says disappears, and in my Alchemy nightmares you vanish."

"Maybe," Barry said.

"Um," Kara said. "Sorry. What's an Alchemy nightmare?"

"Alchemy is the bad guy we've been fighting," Wally said. "He's been giving people memories of what Cisco thinks is another timeline and then he uses his Philosopher's Stone to turn them into metahumans, that's how I have powers now, I was having dreams about being the Flash with Barry, I kept dreaming about a Crisis, probably the same one as the newspaper in the Time Vault says Barry dies in in eight years. Except the message from the future proves he doesn't."

"So, Barry has a date for his expected death and saw a version of himself die already, and you've been having nightmares about Barry dying for months?"

"Yes?"

"We'll sort something out, don't worry," Cisco said. "Wallace West. What are you doing here?"

"No one was at S.T.A.R. Labs. I am part of Team Labs. What's going on?"

"Lyla says the Dominators have the President," Dig said.

"The who have the what?"

"Aliens," Barry said.

"So, what are we doing?"

"Wally, you've had powers for a week," Caitlin said.

"So? Hartley doesn't have powers. Barry had powers for less than a day when he stopped Clyde Mardon. Everyone starts at some point."

"Generally not with alien invasions though," Cisco said.

"Why don't you stay and look after Barry?" Sara asked.

"I'm fine," Barry said.

"You very clearly are not."

"We can't just leave Barry behind," Oliver said. "That message is wrong, and we need him."

"I think Sara's actually talking about Barry's current issue," Felicity said.

"This isn't the full invasion," Sara said. "Maybe an ace up our sleeve, like the Dominators not finding out about our two speedsters in the first fight, might help?"

"Actually, that's Caitlin," Barry said. "I'm bi, and Wally's pan."

"How are you joking," Dig said. "You were on your way to a breakdown less than five minutes ago."

"It's how he hides his trauma," Cisco said. "His words, not mine. But I think Sara might be right."

Hartley frowned and signed to Cisco. "Did you vibe something?"

"I have a feeling," Cisco signed back.

"Okay," Barry said. "Wally and I will stay here, Oliver, you can too if you want but no shooting Wally, you guys have got this."

* * *

"I think I understand your feeling now," Barry said. Cisco nodded.

"Yeah."

Kara's heat vision hit behind them.

"You got this, right?"

"What, no, Bar-"

Barry ran off to stop Ray and Firestorm before anyone else got hurt. Whatever the Dominators had done, they'd made sure everyone came back to Ferris Air brainwashed. Oliver could probably deal with Thea and Dig, Laurel was fighting Sara, Wally was trying to deal with Hartley and Mick (Caitlin was helping; she'd taken the meta-cuffs off), and that left Barry and Cisco with Ray, a fused Firestorm, and Kara.

Barry was fairly sure he could hear screaming, but Cisco hit Kara with a vibe blast anyway.

"Get back here right now, Bartholomew!"

"Thirty seconds, bro!"

"You're the worst!"

Barry zipped in and out of Ray's blasts, and phased himself into Ray's suit, grabbing Ray, and phasing them both out,

Oh. Ground.

"Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea-"

Cisco opened a breach and Barry landed softly next to him, and Ray landed on top of Barry.

"Thanks," Barry said.

"Ow," Ray said. "What happened? Barry!" He scrambled up, right in time to avoid Kara's heat vision she was aiming at Barry again. Cisco glared at him.

"Okay," Barry said. "I'll take Supergirl, you take Firestorm."

Barry shot off, Kara hot on his heels. She was fast.

She wasn't a speedster though.

Still, angry, invincible alien, possibly not his best idea.

Unless. Maybe.

Barry started running in a circle. Kara was closing in. This was going to hurt.

He tossed a bolt of lightning just as Kara flew into him. They both flew back, and Barry hit a wall.

"Barry!" Kara said. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry-"

"Not your fault," Barry groaned. Kara flew over to help him up. "I heal quick anyway."

They'd ended up outside. The fighting had stopped. Great, because the only reason Barry was currently upright was Kara was holding him that way.

Caitlin rushed over to check on him.

"I'm fine," Barry said. "I'm-"

"Inside," Cisco said. "Everyone, in-"

Beams of light shot down. Thea, Dig, Ray, Sara, Laurel, and Oliver were all surrounded.

"Hartley!"

Barry spun around at Cisco's shout. Hartley was completely inside the beam. Barry tried to run, but his leg gave out as soon as he put weight on it.

The beams of light shot up, taking their friends with them.

"No," Cisco said. "No, no-"

"Barry." Caitlin helped him up again. "I need to do some x-rays."

"I'm fine," Barry said. "I'm fine, I'm-"

"You're not," Caitlin said. "Cisco-"

"They took Hartley. They took-"

"We'll get him back," Lily said.

"How?"

"I don't know. But we will, I promise."

"All right," Linda said. "What the hell is going on here?"

* * *

It didn't take long to catch Linda up. Barry's ribs were feeling a lot better.

Still ached, but that was normal.

"What do we do now?" Wally asked.

"We get Hartley back," Cisco said. He clenched his fists, and Barry was sure the hanger shook. No one else seemed to have noticed, maybe he should ask Caitlin about that concussion.

"Yes," Wally said. "But how?"

"I might have an idea, but I'll need to go back to Star City," Felicity said. "Barry, can you-"

"Yep." Barry went to stand up, then fell back down again. "Ow. No."

"Will you please stop doing that," Caitlin said.

"I am so-"

"Kara, it's not your fault," Barry said. "Remind me to tell you about the time I got whammied by Rainbow Raider and punched Ronnie and Martin in the face while they were merged."

"I'll breach you," Cisco said. "And I'm going with you."

"Cisco-" Lily said.

"They took Hartley. I opened an interdimensional breach when Barry was in danger."

"And you nearly died again," Caitlin said gently. "Maybe just-"

Cisco flung his hand out and a breach formed at his fingertips.

"Felicity, jump through."

The two of them vanished, and the breach closed.

"Do you want me to go and check on them?" Kara asked.

"I'll call him," Caitlin said. "He hasn't finished that breach manipulator for Ronnie yet, has he?"

"Not yet," Lily said. "Close, but not yet."

"I can-"

"Barry, you can't even stand up right now," Jax said.

"I'm fine."

"You have four broken ribs and a broken leg, you are not," Caitlin said. "Unless you want Wally to get Eddie and run him here and tell him exactly what you said about time remnants, you are not moving from that chair."

"Gideon might be able to help," Martin said. "She did regrow Mister Snart's hand. And I think I might have an idea, but I will need an expert in nanotechnology."

"Here or S.T.A.R. Labs, Dad?" Lily asked.

"I'll drive you two if Caitlin's staying with Barry on the _Waverider_ ," Jax said. Caitlin nodded.

"Kara, could you help me with Barry?" Caitlin asked.

"I've got him," Kara said. She helped Barry put one arm across her shoulders and lifted him up into a bridal carry. "Which way?"

Mick lead Kara onto the _Waverider._ Barry clung onto her neck.

"Hello, Father," Gideon said as they stepped on board. "You appear to be injured; I will prepare the med bay."

"Thank you, Gideon, dear," Barry said.

"Do I want to know?" Caitlin asked.

"It was Wally's fault."

"You have a child?" Kara asked.

"Gideon is an A.I. I will create in the future, she runs the ship."

"Oh, okay."

Kara carried Barry through the ship and eventually put him down on something that was probably the result of someone crossing a chair with a bed. It was oddly comfortable.

"Do you want some painkillers or something?" Kara asked.

"They don't work on me," Barry said. "My metabolism works too fast."

"Alcohol doesn't do anything for you either, huh?"

"Not a thing."

"Sucks," Mick said. Barry nodded.

"Hey, Mick." Nate stuck his head through thedoor. "What's, oh, hey Barry."

"Hi Nate."

"How's it going?"

"I broke some things. Mostly bones. Again. How many times do I have to break my ribs to set a world record?"

"If you haven't broken it already, I may cry," Caitlin said.

"This is Amaya." Nate gestured to the woman next to him. Mari's possible grandmother. Barry recognised the totem around her neck.

"Nice to meet you," Barry said. "I'm Barry, that's Caitlin, and this is Kara. She's from Earth-38. Actually, she's from Krypton, but she lives on Earth-38."

"That is..." Amaya nodded. She seemed lost for words.

"Awesome," Barry said. The pain seemed to be going. "I feel weird. Floaty. And nothing hurts, Caitlin, I think I'm dying."

"I adminstered some of Doctor Stein's painkillers, Father," Gideon said. "A slightly later version than currently in S.T.A.R. Labs."

"I love that woman. So much. She knitted me socks, do you want-"

"Barry," Caitlin said. "You're your suit."

"I wear socks in my boots. They stop blisters. I wear underwear, Caitlin, you've seen it."

"Okay. You just take a nap; we'll wake you up when the aliens arrive."

"Sweet, I love naps. Wait, I have to help save Hartley, the mean aliens took Hart-"

"It's fine. We have Supergirl."

"And Vibe." Cisco's more powerful than he lets himself be."

"Just sleep, Barry."

"Okay."

* * *

Barry must have slept for a little while because when he woke up the _Waverider_ was moving.

Also, the gentle throb of the Speed Force sticking him back together was throbbing under his skin. His back ached again, this seemed much more normal.

"Gideon?" Barry asked.

"Mister Ramon and Ms Smoak have found the coordinates the others are being held at, Father."

"Excellent," Barry said. He groaned as he pushed himself up.

"Are you in need of more assistance?"

"No, I'm fine, just a little stiff. Where's everyone else?"

"Ms Danvers and Uncle Wally left for Star City to assist Mister Ramon, and I believe Doctor Snow and Ms Park went to see how Professor and Doctor Stein are getting on. Mister Rory and Ms Jiwe are on the bridge, and Doctor Heywood is in the cargo bay."

"Thank you, dear."

Barry yawned and swung his legs over the side of the chair. The door opened, and Sara and Dig walked in.

"Hey guys," Barry said. "Glad you're okay."

"Barry," Sara said. "Gideon, I need you to help patch up John."

"Of course, Captain," Gideon said. "My father insists he is no longer in need of medical attention."

"Your what?" Sara asked. Barry waved. "You're what?"

"I create Gideon in the future," Barry said. "I am fine, Gideon."

"You are still in pain, Father."

"Only the normal amounts. If you two are back, Hartley must be somewhere."

"On the bridge," Sara said. Barry ran.

"-uncertain, Doctor Palmer," Gideon was saying. Barry hugged Hartley.

"Are you okay?" he asked aloud and signed. Hopefully signed.

"I will be when I see Cisco," Hartley said.

"I've sent a message to Doctor Snow to inform her of our arrival," Gideon said. "We should be landing within a few seconds."

"You should sit down," Amaya said.

* * *

Caitlin, Linda, and Jax were waiting at Ferris Air when they landed. A breach opened and Felicity, Wally, three people Barry didn't think he'd met, and Kara jumped through. Cisco was last.

He ran to Hartley so quickly Barry almost had to question if he'd become a speedster.

"Oh, Curtis, Rory, René, this is my brother Barry," Wally said. "How's your leg?"

"Fine," Barry said.

"The Dominators have some kind of weapon," Ray said. "It's heading straight for us."

"Great," Jax said. "Grey and Lily are still working on their idea."

"Are you hurt?" Cisco asked. "Hartley-"

"I'm fine, Cisco."

Cisco cupped Hartley's face in his hand, then pulled him close and kissed him.

"I love you," he said. "Now, tell me the truth."

"I will be fine. Now is neither the time nor place, I'll tell you everything later. They took us for a reason, we think because we aren't metahumans."

"When they came to Krypton they took people to study," Kara said.

"Then we have to find out more about them," Sara said.

"Lyla said they visited Earth before," Caitlin said. "Back in the fifties?"

"Redmond in Oregon," Cisco said. "1951. Hey, Barry-"

"No."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow," Nate said.

"I said I wouldn't," Barry said. "And I'm pretty sure you said before I met Oliver?"

"If you've met Batwoman..."

"I would absolutely call you if I met Batwoman."

"Batwoman isn't real," Oliver said.

"She definitely is," Barry said.

"We have a Batman on my Earth?" Kara said. "He's friends with my cousin. Sort of. And there's a Batgirl?"

"Is this relevant?" Sara asked. "We have a date, we have a place, and we have a time ship."

"Are you suggesting we travel back in time and kidnap a Domiantor to find out their plan?" Oliver asked.

"You said it, not me."

"That sounds like an awful idea," Laurel said.

"Also, the new president wants to meet you," Linda said. "Lyla said she asked for the Flash and Green Arrow specifically, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind other company."

"Sara and Ray?" Oliver asked. Sara nodded.

"Oh, I can be back-up," Kara said. Oliver pulled her aside.

"Amaya, Mick, and I can take the _Waverider,_ " Nate said.

"I'm in," Felicity said. "Time travel! Cisco?"

Cisco looked at Hartley, who rolled his eyes. Hartley nodded.

"Yeah, okay," Cisco said. "I guess I can compare it to Barry time travel."

"And I will stay here with Curtis, Rory, and René," Wally said. "You guys know Laurel and Hartley, right?"

"Time travel does sound kind of cool," Rory said.

"That's only if you don't get eaten by a Time Wraith."

"Speed Force Dementors," Barry explained to the confused looks. "Hi, nice to meet you."

"You too," Rory said.

"Good luck," Linda said.

* * *

Oliver, Sara, Ray, and Barry waited in costume for the President.

"What did you say to Kara?" Barry asked. "She seemed upset."

"Just that I like to know all the variables, and with her..."

"That's mean, Oliver," Ray said. "Kara seems lovely, you should apologise."

"Yeah, you should," Sara said. "The President's late."

"Maybe she got stuck in traffic?"

A helicopter landed and a man in a suit stepped out.

"Sorry," he said. "The President won't be joining us."

They were surrounded.

"Flash," Oliver said.

Barry shot around as guns fired. He dropped the bullets on the floor.

"You know, one of these days someone's going to remember the whole 'faster than a speeding bullet' thing," he said. Suit Guy produced a box.

"We did," he said. "General Eiling developed this specifically for your kind. It's a kinetic bomb, the shrapnel will be attracted to your energies-"

"And I'll heal too fast to get it all out," Barry said. "I thought General Eiling and I had an understanding."

"Which is why he never used it, Mister Allen."

"Flash," Ray said.

"Did he tell you my name, or did someone else?"

"The xenomorphs did. You brought them here."

"They came before," Sara said. "Back in the fifties."

"That was just a reconnaissance mission," Suit Guy said. "We had a truce, and Mister Allen broke it."

"When?" Barry asked.

"You changed the timeline. The xenomorphs have seen metahumans as a potential threat since they first emerged, and so have I. We've been monitoring the situation in Central City since Harrison Wells' particle accelerator, and your powers and unlike anything either of our worlds have ever seen. You changed the predetermined course of the universe."

"Pretty sure I've had enough of the fate conversation now," Barry said. "You're telling me I changed time and that brought aliens here."

"And, luckily for us, it can also send them away. They've agreed to leave the Earth in peace, if the Flash turns himself in."

"Absolutely not," Oliver said. "The Flash is a hero, and you want to just hand him over?"

Suit Guy fiddled with the box, and Sara whipped her staff around and held it against his chest.

"Try it, and you'll regret it."

"There must be another way," Ray said.

"Give me half an hour," Barry said.

"You think you'll come up with a plan in half an hour?" Suit Guy asked.

"There are people I have to say goodbye to first," Barry said. "Give me half an hour, and I'll meet you at the military base outside Central, the one Eiling used. Just half an hour, please."

"Half an hour," Suit Guy said.

* * *

Barry ran the other three back to Ferris Air. The _Waverider_ had landed already.

Everyone was looking at Barry.

"So, I guess you found out?"

"I vibed one of the Dominators," Cisco said. "Had a whole conversation. No way."

"What else are we supposed to do? It's my life or who knows how many, Cisco."

"We're not going to let you do this, Barry," Oliver said.

"Okay, no offense, but you and what army?"

"This one." Oliver gestured at everyone and they stepped behind him, nodding in agreement.

"That's really motivational and all, great group shot, but you know I can run circles around you all and Wally's been doing that for the past five seconds."

"Sorry." Wally skidded to a stop. "Speedsters aren't good at staying still, I was pacing."

"Hey," Jax said. "I think I speak for all the Legends when I say Team Labs are a buch of nerds-"

"You have Ray Palmer," Barry said.

"Hey!" Ray protested. "Actually, that's fair."

"But you're our nerds," Jax said. "Let's not forget your child is on our team, that makes you like our honorary time dad."

"And you can't leave us unsupervised, Dad," Sara grinned. "You know that only ends in disaster."

"Eddie can have full custody, Laurel heard me say it, she's a lawyer."

"That's not how it works," Laurel said.

"Besides, if this is me time travelling, I deserve it. Mason Bridge, Havenrock-"

"You cannot possibly be blaming yourself for that," Caitlin said.

"I save Cisco but Mason Bridge died-"

"Who Eobard absolutely would have killed regardless," Hartley said. "And you saved Cisco, Joe, and Central City."

"I stopped Central being destroyed but then Havenrock-"

"That was Damien Darhk, not you," Rory said. Felicity glanced down.

"Every time I change time something bad happens, this is just-"

"We're not letting you go, Barry," Kara said. "You're our friend."

"When you're in a crew, you help each other," Mick said.

"And I'm going to be honest," Linda said. "You've brought up a lot of trauma today that you're clearly not dealing with, and we all know you're, well..."

"It's not that," Barry said. "But unless you can think of another idea of how to stop the Dominators in like twenty minutes, this is the only choice we've got."

"Then I'm coming with you," Wally said.

"What? Wally, no, this is-"

"They want the Flash. Last I checked, that's me too."

"Not yet it's not."

"Barry, you gave up your speed for me. When I touched the Philosopher's Stone that's what I heard, you telling me I'm your brother and it wasn't a choice. I am coming with you."

"That's it," Cisco said. "Bartholomew, Wallace, I am calling your fathers."

"What?" Barry asked.

"No, you can't," Wally said.

"Cisco, that's not fair."

"Dad's at work, maybe he won't get here in time?"

"My dad will. Cisco will breach them both over, Captain Singh knows, he could do that."

"We could run away?"

"He'll breach them after us. You know what Joe will do."

"I have never seen your dad cross, but I think it would be terrifying."

"It's worse, he does the 'I'm not mad, just disappointed' face. And Iris would do that too."

"We'd get three disappointed faces. We could stay?"

"But the aliens."

"But Dad and Henry and Iris."

"Yeah, if the Dominators don't kill us, they probably will."

"I think they'd go after the Dominators first."

"And Eddie would be upset, wouldn't he?"

"Definitely."

"I think they're weighing up being grounded versus being abducted by aliens," Kara said. Barry blinked. "You two talk really quickly."

"Sorry," Wally said. "We have decided both of us are staying."

"Only if you can find another way to stop the Dominators," Barry said.

"If that's not an entrance line, I don't know what is," Lily said. She walked in with Martin. "Allow us to present the anti-Dominator do-dads."

"I'll think of a name later," Cisco said.

"Thank you."

"They're small devices which should cause Dominators pain when activated," Martin said. "Which is a remarkably unpleasant invention-"

"But they currently have a bomb heading for us which would wipe out all metahumans and at least two million non-metahumans, and they want us to give them Barry to stop it?" Nate asked.

"Exactly. But if we activate them before all the devices are placed, it will alert the Dominators."

"Sounds like a job for a speedster or two," Oliver said. "And Supergirl."

Kara nodded.

"We can come up with the rest on the way," Sara said.

"I do have one question," Thea said. "Which of the Legends is your child?"

"The robot," Mick said.

"She's not a robot," Barry said. "Gideon is my beautiful, future A.I. daughter, and I love her. We're running out of time; we have to go."

* * *

Barry had no idea how many Dominators were in Central City, but he was really glad they'd got help. He raced through the streets, occassionally crossing paths with Wally and Kara, pulling people out the way and sticking the Anti-Dominator Do-Dads to Dominators.

Laurel, Linda, Lily, and Caitlin were in the _Waverider_ , and Barry was pretty sure everyone else was fighting on a roof just under the ship.

Except Firestorm, who was on top of the meta-bomb. It was caught in the _Waverider_ 's tractor beam, but it was still falling.

If it hit the ground, Central was toast. The kind that came from on-fire toasters, Barry was definitely not going to have time to pick up a new one today.

"That's all the devices planted, Overwatch," Kara said.

"Roger that, Supergirl," Felicity said.

The Dominators were screeching and retreating.

The bomb was still falling.

Wally skidded in next to Barry, and Kara appeared on his other side.

"What do we do?" Wally asked.

"I don't think there's anything we can do," Barry said.

"I could fly it into space?" Kara asked.

"You can do that?" Wally asked.

"We don't know when it'll detonate," Barry said. "They might set it off as soon as you get near."

An expolsion of water threw itself down onto the city. Firestorm was hovering where the bomb had just been.

"Transmutation," Wally said. "Go, Jax!"

* * *

They'd regrouped at Ferris Air. The President had congratulated them and said the world would be grateful if they knew. Which was probably stressing this was supposed to be kept secret, so it was probably bad Linda avoided eye contact at that. With the new President.

The Picture News lawyers were going to be thrilled when they got that phone call. Barry couldn't decide if that was sarcasm or not.

The government people left pretty quickly. Lyla was the only one who lingered, and Barry ran over to her.

"Thank you," she said.

"It was an alien invasion, we couldn't sit and do nothing," Barry said. "How's baby Sara?"

"She's fine. She'll be a big sister soon."

"No way, Lyla, that's great!"

"Don't tell everyone yet though."

"I won't, I swear. Got any names picked out yet?"

"John, after his dad."

"Wow, congratulations."

"I should go. How likely is it this will stay out of the newspapers?"

"No one outside the Gem Cities reads Picture News," Barry said. I'm sure no one would believe it anyway."

"See you soon, Barry."

Lyla left, with a quick goodbye to Dig. Oliver walked over to Barry.

"We just saved the world," he said.

"Yeah," Barry said. "Feels pretty good, doesn't it?"

"It does. How are you?"

"Good? I'm not hurt, all my friends are fine, so..."

"He means because of that time remnant stuff," Kara said, landing on Barry's other side. "And blaming yourself for everything that's happened."

"I can change time," Barry said. "Change reality. It's hard not to feel responsible when there's that weight on your shoulders."

"We all get like that. We're heroes, we save the world, but we can't be everywhere at once."

"If you ever need someone to talk to, you know where to find me," Oliver said.

"And me," Kara said. "Cisco just gave me this dimensional, um-"

"Extrapolator," Barry said. "He's been working on them for a while."

"He said it has communication functions too, so we can call each other."

"I think that means you have to, Barry," Oliver said. "Kara, I owe you an apology. We couldn't have done this without you."

"It was nice to be part of a team," Kara said. "I don't get to work with my cousin much, and aside from Batman, Batgirl, Nightwing, and Robin, we don't really have other superheroes on my Earth. All-Star team ups seems fun."

"Please don't encourage him," Oliver said.

"I feel like this is a group hug moment," Barry said. "What do you think, Ollie?"

"Just this once," Oliver said. Kara and Barry hugged him.

"Hey, Dad!" Sara yelled from across the room. "Is everyone invited to this?"

"You know," Lily said. "If you're the Legends' honorary Time Dad, and my dad's a Legends, that probably makes you my Time Grandpa."

"You are older than me," Barry said. He let go of Oliver and Kara. "You are all older than me, except Jax, Wally, Thea, Linda, and Cisco, but Linda and Cisco it's only a few months. And Iris, but she's not here. And maybe Amaya, sorry Amaya."

"I might be younger than you," Sara said. "I was dead for a year."

"But then you were trapped in the fifites for two years," Jax said. "So, you're technically a year older than you should be, and that was already older than Barry."

"Damn."

"Oh, and Kara," Barry said. "Maybe, sorry, is your birthday before or after March?"

"May," Kara said. "Probably. 1966."

"Excuse me?" Thea asked.

"I was born when it was 1966 on Earth, I left Krypton when I was thirteen then I was trapped in the Phantom Zone for twenty-four years and didn't age."

"Thirteen is the worst age to get stuck as," Nate said.

"So, you're tecnhically fifty, sort of?" Jax asked. Kara shrugged.

"What the heck," Wally said. "You're three years older than my dad."

"And on that note, I think it's time for all of us to leave," Oliver said. "Good seeing everyone, let's not do this again."

"Ready, Supergirl?" Cisco asked.

"Ready." Kara pressed a button on her extrapolator and a breach opened. "Bye, everyone!"

She jumped through and the breach shut.

"I'll just make sure that worked right," Cisco said. He jumped through his own breach.

"It's weird," Ray said. "Kara looks just like my cousin."

"Huh," Felicity said. "That is weird."

"It's probably just coincidence," Ray said. "I'm pretty sure Karen would have told me if she was from space."

* * *

Barry dropped into his chair just as his dad pulled a fish pie out the oven.

"Thanks, Dad. How did you know when I'd be back?"

"Cisco called," his dad said. "He said something about an alien invasion?"

"It's fine, we stopped that. Met the President, she seems nice."

"Cisco told me about that too. he told me everything."

"Oh."

"I don't understand this time remnant business-"

"None of us really do, that's the-"

"But I do know that you are my son and I love you. Never doubt that."

"I love you too, Dad." Barry got up and hugged him. "Why five plates?"

The doorbell rang.

"That will be Eddie, Joe, and Wally," his dad said.

"Oh," Barry said. "So that wasn't the end of that conversation."

"Not yet."

"I'll get the door."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for yesterday, I was rather busy and only had time to type half of this up. I'll try and put the next chapter up today too still, I think it's slightly shorter so it shouldn't take as long (fingers crossed).


	6. Time Troubles

One side effect of Barry's speed? He ran hot.

He was also constantly moving. Whenever he stayed at Eddie's (an occurence that was becoming more and more frequent), Eddie woke up to Barry tangled in blankets.

He was sleeping better now they'd talked about the time remnant thing. Which didn't mean less moving. He just seemed more comfortable.

There was just something about waking up to Barry's tangled limbs and messy hair, and frequent muttering. Eddie should have talked to him far sooner.

His mother was talking about Christmas already. And about him possibly stopping by with Barry. Maybe not while his father was there, not just yet, but his grandmother had asked about meeting Barry too. And his father still seemed uncertain of Eddie dating another man, but he had asked about Barry and he didn't seem completely against it.

Eddie currently had no plans of even mentioning Barry to Thaddeus, let alone introducing them.

Barry seemed to be looking forward to it too. They just had to find a time they weren't likely to be invade by aliens or attacked by evil speedsters.

* * *

Cisco had brought up several more chairs to the Cortex.

"Didn't we have a break room?" Caitlin asked.

"Yeah, but we need the computers, and it's cheaper to just run the electricity in here," Cisco said. "We're still clearing up from the accelerator."

"It's been three years," Laurel said.

"It's a big building and there are not many of us," Cisco said. "And we've been distracted saving the city. I stole these from Eobard's office and the conference room."

"I'm pretty sure it doesn't count as stealing if you own the building and everything in it," Barry said.

"You work for the police; you should be more than pretty sure what the law is."

"Anyway," Linda said. "I haven't found anything about Alchemy or Cobalt."

"I tried to talk to Clariss, but Warden Wolfe wouldn't let me in," Iris said. "He said the meta-wing is off-limits to visitors at the moment, but he wouldn't say why."

"And Frankie doesn't remember any mention of a Cobalt, and Alchemy never took his mask off," Wally said. "I don't remember either of them from my dreams, and we don't know why only Barry could see him."

"It must have been the frequency he was vibrating at," Hartley said. "And searching for cobalt mostly comes up with the metal. I have read so many articles on jet engines."

"Aww, Hart, please send them all to me so I can join you in this disappointment, I love you."

"You're not building a jet-pack, Cisco," Caitlin said.

"Oh, come on. Barry?"

"Sorry, Cisco, you couldn't pay me to try flight again."

"I still can't believe the Flash is scared of heights and rollercoasters."

"I am a walking definition of irony."

"I'll do jet-pack testing with you," Wally said.

"You will not," Iris said. "Lily?"

"I will not help Cisco build a jet-pack?" Lily paused. "Oh, Cobalt and Alchemy! I didn't find anything. I did knit Wally some socks though."

"Can I platonically marry you?" Wally asked.

"Yeah, okay."

“And C.C.P.D. haven’t found anymore husks,” Eddie said. “Nor any sign of the three other metahumans.” He rubbed his face. “But we have been busy with aliens.”

“Did you get in trouble with that article, Linda?” Laurel asked.

“Then they’d have to admit they were trying to cover it up, and I didn’t write anything no one in Central saw,” Linda said. “Charlie will take care of everything.”

“Who’s Charlie?” Lily asked.

“Larkin assigned him to Linda specifically,” Iris said.

“He did not,” Linda said. “It just happens that I have occasionally made some people cross which Charlie has dealt with, and you have occasionally been shot at.”

“Charlie is Stacey’s dad, Barry.”

“Jitters Stacey?” Barry asked. “Oh, cool, I saw her earlier, she says hi.”

“But in conclusion, we have nothing on Cobalt or Alchemy,” Caitlin said. Eddie nodded.

“What about his stone?” Eddie asked. “Did he give it a name?”

“Yeah, the Philosopher’s Stone,” Wally said. “I think that feels right too, like there’s something familiar?”

“Philosopher’s Stone is an old legend, I doubt we’ll find anything specific,” Hartley said.

“There might be if we cross-reference it with metahumans,” Lily said. She sat at the computer and typed. “It’s unlikely, but maybe- Maybe there’s a familiar name.”

“What?” Hartley asked. “Oh.” He turned the screen so all of them could see. “It was published by Oxford University four years ago.”

“By Julian?” Eddie asked, looking at the picture.

“That’s impossible,” Barry said. “He’s a dick, but he’s not a bad guy.”

“You don’t like him,” Linda said.

“So? I can’t like every person in the world. Julian’s not a metahuman, I was talking to him about this the other week, after that incident with the hologram dinosaur, he said he doesn’t like metahumans because we waste our powers being selfish instead of using our gifts to help people which is kind of rude and some people just want to live normal lives. Bette just wanted a normal life and the ability to touch people. Frankie just wanted to be safe.”

“And he said that to the Flash who very much uses his powers to risk his life to help people,” Laurel said.

“We don’t actually know that Alchemy is a meta-human,” Lily said. “Maybe Julian knows something?”

“I’ll talk to him,” Barry said. “I’ll talk to Jay too, see if he knows anything.”

“Also, Dad wants to know who we’re expecting for New Year’s,” Wally said. “I already told him to invite Cecile, and I guess Jesse, Ronnie, and Jason, but I wasn’t sure about the Legends?”

“That feels like a disaster,” Cisco said. “But Martin has to come, and Ray and Jax, and Sara, so we really should invite everyone.”

“How are you planning on explaining Mick Rory to the D.A.?” Laurel asked.

“We can all just blame Barry,” Cisco said. Barry opened his mouth in protest. “Or we can say it’s his identical twin?”

“That definitely sounds like it will work,” Linda said.

“We’ll think of something,” Caitlin said.

* * *

Barry breached over to Earth-3 with Cisco before work, but Hartley seemed a little off again.

“Need a lift?” Linda asked.

“Thanks,” Eddie said. “Two minutes though.”

He nodded at Hartley. Linda nodded and Eddie stepped around.

“Hey, Hart,” he said. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he said.

“You’ve been off since the Dominators. Do you want to talk about it?”

“It’s nothing,” Hartley said. “It’s just something the Dominators showed us.”

“Laurel said she was marrying Oliver. That it was as if he’d never got on the boat? Both his parents were there, Tommy was there, her parents were there, Sara, and she said Ray was there married to Anna?”

“And John was the Green Arrow. I was a wedding guest. With my parents, who supported and accepted me. Jerrie was next to me. And there was no Cisco.”

“And you feel bad that you still want that even though you wouldn’t have Cisco?”

“I don’t know what I feel. I don’t want them. I love Cisco. But I love my sister, and if that’s what they chose to show me, there must be a reason.”

“You became the Pied Piper because you were angry with them,” Eddie said. “The Dominators saw you as a threat, so they had to get rid of the Pied Piper, and they did that by removing your origin story. But you chose to come back, to Cisco. I think you know exactly which one you want. You know where I am if you need to talk.”

“Thanks, Eddie.”

* * *

Linda and Iris waved goodbye as Eddie stepped into C.C.P.D.

It seemed fairly busy, but not abnormally. He could see Joe talking to D.A. Horton, and Captain Singh in his office on the phone to someone. Julian was just heading up the stairs.

Barry was right about him not seeming like a villain. But Hunter had pulled the same trick last year, and Eobard had tricked them all. It seemed better to be cautious.

Hartley and Caitlin were going through Julian’s paper, to see what they could find.

“Hi, Eddie,” Detective Mary Addie said. “Is Barry not with you?”

“He’s on his way,” Eddie said. “He’s running late, you know what he’s like.”

Barry crashed in through the door, immediately tripped over his feet, and only avoided face-planting on the floor thanks to a quick catch from Daniella. When Eddie first found out Barry was the Flash, he’d wondered if that was an act to help avoid detection.

Now he knew it was just Barry being Barry.

“Thanks,” Barry said. “Hey.”

“Are you okay?” Mary asked.

“Oh, yeah, fine, thanks,” he said. “That was just... That was... I have big feet. You need that report from yesterday, it’s sitting on my desk. See you in a bit, Eddie!”

* * *

Eddie went up to the lab to meet Barry for lunch. He seemed busy, but he smiled and walked with Eddie to Jitters.

“Did you...”

“Julian said he went on an archaeological expedition and never found the stone. He did react when I said Cobalt, but all he said was Cobalt is supposedly the first speedster. Which I already found out from Jay, he’s never seen Cobalt, but he’s heard rumours. He was the very first speedster and is the fastest of us all.”

“But you still don’t think Julian knows about Alchemy.”

“Yes. No. I don’t know. I think... I think I’m tired of people lying to us and betraying us. I was just starting to like Julian, kind of, I don’t want to go through this again.”

“We’ll figure it out, Bare,” Eddie said.

* * *

If they could have figured it out before Barry and Jay fought Alchemy, that would have been good. Wally picked Eddie up and raced him to S.T.A.R. Labs. Lily, Hartley, Barry, Joe, Linda, Laurel, and Iris were in the Cortex; Caitlin and Henry were in Caitlin’s lab helping Jay.

Julian was in the Reverse Flash Trap.

“I was wrong,” Barry said. “Again.”

“At least we’ve got the Stone, and we stopped his plan,” Lily said. “Not that this box is any help whatsoever.”

“I think I need to call David,” Joe said. “And maybe Cecile.”

“I need to talk to him,” Barry said.

“He can’t stay in there, Barry,” Laurel said.

“I know. Just- Five minutes. That’s all. Five minutes. Hartley-”

“I’ll get my mask,” Hartley said.

Eddie sat down as Barry and Hartley went downstairs.

“Cisco, are you okay?” Iris asked.

“Fine.” Cisco pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just seeing things.”

Lily brought up the video. Eddie could see how tense Julian was. And hear how confused he sounded when Barry asked him about Alchemy.

“Something’s not right,” Eddie said.

“We caught him as Alchemy,” Wally said. “It’s him.”

“I don’t think Julian knows that.”

Eddie rushed out the room and downstairs.

“You’re setting me up,” Julian was protesting when Eddie ran in.

“Flash,” he said. “I think he’s telling the truth.”

“Thawne?” Julian asked. “What are you doing here? You’re in on this?”

“Julian,” Barry said. His voice was still distorted. “Have you been blacking out?”

“What?”

“Have you ever woken up somewhere and not known how you got there? Or forgotten hours, maybe even days?”

“You’re still convinced I’m Alchemy.”

“We fought Alchemy, and you were wearing the mask, but if someone is using you, then I want to help you.”

“And why should I trust you?”

“Don’t,” Hartley said. Barry pulled down his cowl. “And again.”

“Allen?” Julian asked. “This explains your frequent disappearances and strong views on metas.”

“Captain Singh knows,” Barry said. “He said it’s fine as long as I get my work done. And Pied Piper and Vibe do more during work hours.”

“Perks of being your own boss,” Hartley said.

“Julian, I want to help you,” Barry said. “Have you been blacking out?”

“Just since I came to Central,” Julian admitted. “My sister died when I was twenty, and just after the funeral I started seeing her everywhere. One day she spoke to me. She told me about the Philosopher’s Stone, she said it would bring her back.”

“So, you went looking,” Eddie said.

“It was in India. I led a small dig, just four of us. We found a box, and the next thing I knew, I was in my hotel room and the phone was ringing, everyone else was in the hospital. With head injuries and no clear memory; I thought I’d had the same and just somehow managed to walk myself back. We abandoned the dig, we hadn’t found anything, I spent a few years in the army, and then I came here. And the blackouts started again.”

“Does that sound like Frankie?” Hartley asked. Barry shook his head.

“DID normally develops after severe trauma at a very young age, Frankie said she’s been having blackouts where Magenta takes control for as long as she can remember. Disassociation isn’t unique to DID, but I think this is an external force taking control of Julian’s body.”

“Cobalt,” Eddie said. Barry nodded and shut down the force field.

“We have to find out why.”

“You said you saw your sister,” Eddie said. Julian frowned. “The stone, or Cobalt, made you think you saw your sister.”

“Yes,” Julian said. “It wasn’t Emma, no matter how much I wanted it to be.”

“Cisco said he was seeing things.”

“Barry, go get Dante,” Hartley said.

* * *

Cisco had opened the box. Barry raced in with Dante.

“Wally, you can see him, right?”

“Yeah,” Wally said. Barry was flung back against the wall. “Stop!”

“Don’t!” Barry shouted. Wally flew back too.

They both shot out the room, clearly trying to draw whatever it was away.

Laurel, Joe, and Iris ran after them.

“Cisco,” Caitlin said. “You have to close it.”

“Mando’s there, he’s right there-”

“Cisco, it’s not real,” Hartley said. “It’s the Stone.”

“He’s right in front of me, I can see him, I can get him back-”

“Cisco,” Dante said. He stepped forward. “Look at me.”

“I’m sorry, Mando, I’m-”

“Cisco, please.”

Cisco turned to Dante.

“It’s my fault,” Cisco said.

“No, it’s not,” Dante said. “It’s not your fault, there was nothing you could have done. And Armando wouldn’t have wanted you to. You’re our little brother, it is our job to look after you.”

“It only happened because of me-”

“Cisco, it is not your fault. Mando would never blame you. But he’s gone. You have to close that box; it’s hurting your friends.”

Cisco nodded and shut the box again. Dante held him tight.

“I’m here,” he said. “I’m here.”

“Caitlin, Flash and Kid Flash,” Lily said. “Eddie-”

“I’m coming,” Eddie said.

* * *

Barry and Wally seemed fine. Cisco didn’t.

Hartley and Dante hadn’t left his sides yet. Julian just seemed confused.

“Cobalt and Alchemy have the same voice,” Wally said. “Did you notice?”

“You might be able to use the box, if Julian agrees,” Cisco said. “And then...”

“Cisco, I think you need to go home,” Caitlin said.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not,” Lily said.

“You need me.”

“Yes,” Barry said. “We do. But not right now, not when you’re so upset.”

“Armando died years ago, I’m-”

“You’ve never been fine with it,” Dante said. “None of us have ever been fine with it. And you blamed yourself?”

“If I hadn’t-”

“It was my fault, Cisco!”

“How was it your fault?”

“Mando got you out the way, I should have helped him, then he wouldn’t have been there. I didn’t even see the car, or who took his...”

“The lights were too bright, we couldn’t. And you ran to get me away from them.”

“You two need space,” Joe said. “Everyone out.”

“It’s fine,” Cisco said. “You’re my family, you can know. We need to focus on Cobalt-”

“You have a family,” Dante said. “And you’re lying to them.”

“Mama and Dad lost one son, they couldn’t even stay in the same city after, I can’t let them worry-”

“That’s exactly why you need to tell them!”

“Fine!”

“What?”

“Fine, I’ll tell them I’m Vibe. I’ll tell them I run into dangerous situations constantly, have visions of the past, present, future, alternate timelines, different earths throughout the multiverse, can open portals, regularly almost die because of my powers, and this were all triggered by me being murdered by my boss and a man I trusted downstairs in this building until Barry changed time, but I remember it perfectly! That will go down so well!”

“Um,” Barry said. “Cisco, I know you’re arguing with your brother and I probably shouldn’t interrupt, but both of my dads are in this room and know and I’m really glad I told them, even if they maybe saw me almost die a couple of times. I think finding out because I died-”

“Would be worse,” Henry said. “It would be so much worse.”

“It’s up to you who you tell though. Completely up to you. But I think you might have accidentally just told Julian?”

“Oh,” Cisco said. Julian nodded at him. “Oops.”

“It’s not a nice trick,” Julian said. “What the stone does.”

“Maybe you’re not completely wrong,” Cisco said. “I have kind of been thinking about telling Dad. But not because you told me to.” He pointed at Dante. “I was going to anyway. After Christmas. I guess I could do it now. Hart-”

“I’ll come if you want me to,” Hartley said. He took his mask off. “I assume we’re all telling Julian now.”

“You didn’t have to,” Barry said.

“You trust him, that’s enough for me. Come on, Cisco.”

Cisco nodded and opened a breach. He, Hartley, and Dante jumped through.

“If we’re telling you secret identities, I’m Kid Flash,” Wally said. “Remind me why we’re going with Kid Flash?”

“Because you’ve had superpowers for like three weeks,” Iris said.

“Cisco’s right about us being able to use the box,” Lily said. “We can use the same equipment we used when Cisco’s vibes started. If that’s all right with you, Julian.”

“I honestly don’t know what’s going on or who half of you are,” Julian said.

“Oh right,” Barry said. “You know Iris and Wally, that was Cisco, Hartley, and Cisco’s brother Dante, that’s Caitlin, Lily, Laurel, Linda, my dad, and Jay who is from Earth-3.”

“Earth-3?”

“The multiverse exists, there’s a lot of Earths,” Lily said. “Can I use this box and a machine we made when Cisco was starting to vibe to channel Cobalt through you so we can find out what he wants?”

“I’m still lost.”

* * *

Julian sat in the chair. Eddie hadn’t seen it before; he hadn’t found out until after Cisco’s vibing started. He wasn’t entirely sure what Lily and Caitlin had done either.

“I’m still not sure I know what’s going on,” Julian said. “Or that I like it.”

“Things get weird,” Joe said. “Believe me. I stopped questioning it when the telepathic gorilla showed up.”

“Barry nearly got eaten by a half-shark, half-man once,” Lily said.

“I completely get why John hates coming to Central,” Laurel said. “Barry nearly got eaten by a what?”

“King Shark never actually said he was going to eat me, he just-”

“Was actively trying to kill you,” Lily said. “Does it make it worse or better if I say next time he showed up, Barry tried to start a conversation about his chances of being eaten?”

“I just wanted to clarify what his plan actually was.”

“You were just trying to distract us from asking about Earth-2,” Linda said.

“There’s a lot to catch you up on,” Caitlin said to Julian. “When we switch this on, your brainwaves should sync with the Stone and let us talk to Cobalt. Hopefully that will let us find out what he wants with you. Are you sure you’re all right with this?”

“I suppose it’s worth trying,” Julian said. “What do I do?”

“Just count backwards from ten.”

Julian nodded and started counting.

He was asleep by eight.

“How long will it take to work?” Joe asked.

Julian opened his eyes.

“About that long,” Lily said.

“Barry Allen,” Julian said. It wasn’t his voice. Something about it seemed familiar, but Eddie couldn’t quite place it.

“Cobalt, I presume,” Barry said. “You know my name; do I get to know yours?”

“You don’t recognise me, Flash?”

“I know you’re hurting people. I can’t let you do that.”

“I’m putting right your mistakes,” Cobalt spat. “You did this to me. You took everything from me!”

“What are you talking about?” Caitlin asked.

“You’ll see, Doctor Snow.”

“The future,” Lily said. “You’re from the future.”

“Then where are you now?” Barry asked.

“Where you left me. Stranded in eternity. But I have everything I need.”

“The Stone,” Iris said. “That’s what you need it for.”

Julian blinked and gasped.

“What happened?”

“Cobalt is from the future, he needs the Philosopher’s Stone to escape wherever future Barry trapped him,” Linda said. Julian blinked again.

“What do we do?” Laurel asked.

“We have to get rid of the Stone,” Eddie said.

“We can’t destroy it,” Wally said.

“But we can throw it into the Speed Force,” Jay said.

“We can?”

“We can if we combine our speed.”

“Will that work?” Joe asked.

“I have an idea,” Jay said.

* * *

Considering the Stone was gone, Barry didn’t seem very relaxed. He’d laughed and smiled through dinner, but he was definitely on edge.

And it wasn’t about visiting his aunt.

“You could come with me,” Eddie said.

“I thought your father wasn’t ready for that yet.”

“He’s probably not. He knows about you now, and he still seems to feel like bisexuality is a phase I’ll grow out of find a nice woman to settle down with, but he’ll have to face the facts eventually.”

“That bisexuality is very real?”

“That I love you and want to spend my life with you.”

“Oh.”

Barry seemed taken aback by that. Eddie smiled softly at the confused look on his face.

“My brother’s a dick I barely talk to, that’s not why I haven’t told him about you, Bare. None of this is about you, it’s about them. If it’s bothering you-”

“It’s not,” Barry said. “I get it. Completely. You love me?”

“I’ve told you that before.”

“Yeah, I guess. But aliens were invading, and I didn’t really get a chance to register it. Also, I thought I was just a fake Barry and you were talking about the real Barry.”

“Well, I love you.” Eddie leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “You’re stuck with me now.”

“Oh.” Barry still seemed bemused. “I love you too.”

Eddie noticed he still hadn’t actually said what was bothering him.

* * *

Christmas was the usual Thawne affair. Everyone squeezed into a house that was far too small for all his family at once, at least one argument by lunch, and Eddie mostly stuck to the kitchen to help his mother (and also avoid Thaddeus and pretty much everyone except his grandmother).

He only had relentless questioning about Barry.

Eddie left mid-afternoon (with a promise to bring Barry by at some point in January), and headed home. According to Hartley, Cisco’s parents had taken the news about Vibe well. Ish. They were both worried, but proud. Iris had mentioned Wally was a little down, since it was his first Christmas without their mother, but her grandparents and cousin Wally had visited again. Linda was down in Coast City with her cousins, parents, aunt, and uncle, Laurel had gone back to Star City, and Barry and Henry were with the Steins.

Without the Philosopher’s Stone, Cobalt was trapped. It seemed like they’d won.

And something was going on with Barry.

* * *

“I’m beginning to think we might need somewhere slightly bigger than Joe’s for New Year’s in the future,” Cisco said.

“You do own S.T.A.R. Labs,” Jax said. “You have a whole hanger thing we used for that alien invasion.”

“Oh man, how come none of us thought of that? Anyway, I am now a taxi service, so.”

Cisco opened and a breach and jumped through. Jax met Eddie’s eyes and shrugged.

“He honestly could make a fortune doing that,” Jax said.

“I think we’re here because Joe’s girlfriend is coming,” Eddie said. “And she doesn’t know about this stuff yet.”

“I’ll tell the Legends to keep it on the down-low,” Jax said.

“She might know about Mick. Cecile’s the D.A., she will know about his criminal record, but I don’t know if she’ll know about the alien invasion and the President pardoning him. I think Joe’s hoping there’ll be enough people he can just keep Cecile from noticing him.”

“This is going to go so terribly.”

“I know.”

“We do have something to ask you, actually. We’ve been dealing with this speedster, he’s looking for something called the Spear of Destiny, it can change reality. Gideon’s narrowed out some people it can’t be.”

“I think my New Year’s Resolution is to go and get a vasectomy,” Eddie said. Jax frowned. “Did Wally or Martin ever mention Reverse Flash?”

“Yeah, not-Wells? I thought he was dead.”

“He’s my descendant, so I shot myself to erase him from existence, but he ran into the time stream first, and I developed superpowers and got better. In theory, as long as I never have children, he stays erased.”

“So, to stabilise himself, he needs to change reality,” Jax said. “No one recognised him though. Ray met him, didn’t he?”

“He did, but he stole Harrison Wells’ face, that wasn’t what he actually looked like. Blond, blue eyes, stocky, I guess when past Eobard showed up, about our age, he did have some resemblance to me, even if there are like fifteen generations between us.”

“That does sound right,” Jax said. “He’s also working with Malcolm Merlyn and Damien Darhk, it’s going so well. We met George Lucas and Nate and Ray’s personal histories started changing because Indiana Jones and Star Wars no longer existed.”

“That was you!” Cisco appeared next to Eddie. “I had a nightmare Star Wars was erased from existence, that was you? Oh, Jax, this is Ronnie and Jason, Ronnie, Jason, this is Jax. I can’t believe you erased Star Wars!”

“We put it back!”

“They’re fighting Eobard Thawne,” Eddie said.

“Not him again,” Ronnie said.

“He’s trying to change reality.”

“What a dick,” Cisco said. “Want some help? Barry and Wally probably can’t, Time Wraiths, but I can. I think. Would Time Wraiths eat me? Jason, what do you think?”

“I don’t know what a Time Wraith is,” Jason said. “Maybe?”

“Yeah, actually,” Ronnie said. “A what now?”

“Speed Force Dementor," Cisco said. "Oh right, you missed that, because you were only in the past, not when Barry got back to now S.T.A.R. Labs that is technically past S.T.A.R. Labs because that was a while ago.”

“What have I missed?”

“An alien invasion at least,” Jax said. “You’re Ronnie Raymond, right? You were Grey’s other half until you crashed onto Earth-2?”

“That’s me,” Ronnie said. “This is Jason, my new partner. Which makes you the Professor’s new counterpart, Jefferson Jackson. I wonder if we could merge.”

“Or maybe all four of you can merge at the same time into one possibly giant Firestorm,” Cisco said.

“Cisco,” Eddie said. “Maybe you should go and tell Martin Ronnie’s here? Barry said he was looking forward to seeing him again, and meeting Jason. And then if you’re going to merge, you really should do that anywhere but inside Joe’s flammable house.”

“Right, yes,” Cisco said. “Jesse and Harry couldn’t make it, they’re at some big fancy thing Mayor Lisa Snart organised, which Harry won’t elaborate on. Martin’s this way!”

Cisco darted off, dragging Ronnie with him. Jason and Jax met each other’s eyes and followed.

“See you in a bit, Eddie,” Jax said.

“He looked like he was in a hurry.” Barry slid in next to Eddie.

“The Legends are fighting Eobard Thawne, and Cisco wants to know if Ronnie, Jason, Jax, and Martin can merge into one giant Firestorm.”

“But they always go into one body, why would they be a giant Firestorm?”

“I have no idea.”

“And Thawne again?”

“Unfortunately.”

“They’ll handle it. Iris and Caitlin invited Julian, he’s somewhere. Hartley said it’s probably too much for Jerrie right now, but he saw her the other day. And Cecile and Joe ended up under some mistletoe Wally and I had nothing to do with and kissed.”

“That’s cute.”

“We’re standing under some too.” Barry pointed above Eddie’s head. Sure enough, a spring of mistletoe was above them. “So…”

“If you wanted a kiss, you could have just said,” Eddie said. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Barry’s. “Are we mingling?”

“I think we’re mingling,” Barry said. “After I have one of those brownies Linda baked.”

* * *

Ray Palmer was an incredibly trustworthy person everyone liked. That had to be the reason Cecile (and Julian) didn’t question Mick’s presence because there was no way Ray “this is my cousin, Rick Mory” Palmer could ever be counted as a good liar.

Barry and Eddie had gone back to Eddie’s around one. The plan had been a quiet day, maybe a lie-in.

That went out the window around five when Barry woke up shaking and sweating. He’d darted off for a run to take his mind off the nightmare. But he hadn’t told Eddie what it was about.

Barry had nightmares. Eddie knew that. He still had nightmares about the night his mother died, but also he’d have them about his dad and Zoom, about Zoom breaking his back, about Bette dying, about Ronnie falling, about the day before the first day he time travelled, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. He’d usually tell Eddie though, even if it was just one word.

Barry hadn’t stayed over since before Christmas, so when he had a nightmare the next night too, Eddie sent a message to Henry.

Barry hadn’t said anything to him either. He’d heard shuffling around during the night and seen empty glasses by the sink in the morning, which usually meant Barry wasn’t sleeping well. But they’d got rid of the Stone, Julian hadn’t blacked out since they had, Eddie didn’t understand it. They’d stopped Cobalt.

Unless it was because Jax had said Eobard was back. But Henry had noticed the shuffling before New Year’s. And Barry would have said if he’d known about Eobard before. He would.

Last time he hadn’t said anything, it was when he assumed he was a time remnant none of them would want if they knew the truth. But they’d convinced him, Eddie was sure they’d convinced him.

Something was going on with Barry.

* * *

It wasn’t just Eddie who had noticed either. Joe was concerned, and Iris and Wally both cornered Eddie just as he was about to leave work.

“I don’t know,” Eddie said. “He hasn’t been sleeping, and he won’t tell me anything.”

“He’s acting normal,” Wally said. “But like he’s consciously trying to act normal. We put out a fire together earlier and he was really calm and explained about the soot around the door and a lot of things, but he seemed distracted after.”

“I heard about the fire,” Iris said. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine, you know Barry’s still keeping a close eye on me, he won’t let anything happen. I’m just his sidekick, it’s not like Central actually needs me,” Wally grumbled the last part under his breath

“Barry didn’t say that,” Eddie said.

“No, but everyone else is. I heard some of the officers talking about it.”

“You know it’s not true,” Iris said. “You were a part of Team Labs before your powers. If it wasn’t for you, Barry might still be stuck on Earth-2.”

“Cisco could have saved him.”

“And Barry loves you,” Eddie said. “We all love you, Wally, who cares if some people who don’t know more than Barry runs around the city think.”

“Dad doesn’t want me doing this.”

“Dad’s just worried about you,” Iris said. “He worried about Barry at first too. He still worries about Barry. But if Dad didn’t want you doing this, he wouldn’t have asked Cisco and Lily to make you a suit.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Wally said. “Do you think Barry being weird has something to do with what he saw in the Speed Force?”

“What?” Eddie asked.

“When the breach opened, he disappeared. Jay went to get him, it was only a second, but maybe he saw something?”

“He hasn’t mentioned that to you either?” Iris asked. Eddie shook his head. “I think you’re exactly right, Walls.”

* * *

Jared Morillo (nicknamed Plunder) had clearly caught Barry off guard when he’d shown up the day before. So, Eddie wasn’t surprised he showed up again so quickly.

He was a little surprised when Captain Singh sent him to S.T.A.R. Labs for “information on Plunder’s weapon” and he arrived to find Barry yelling at Wally. Lily and Iris (the only other two present just outside the Cortex) both seemed shocked too.

“Barry,” Iris said. “Wally did good. He caught the bad guy, no one got hurt.”

“But he could have been,” Barry said, almost vibrating. Eddie had to strain to keep up with him, he was talking so quickly. “He hasn’t had powers that long and we’ve only just started training and-”

“Something is wrong,” Lily said. “Don’t lie to us, Barry, you were acting like this when Thawne wanted to talk to Cisco alone when you first changed time.”

Barry blurted out something then disappeared.

“He said to meet him in the Time Vault,” Wally said.

Eddie nodded, and followed.

Barry was pacing back and forth, clutching at his hair and muttering to himself. The dark circles under his eyes suddenly seemed so much clearer.

“You were in the Speed Force,” Iris said.

“No,” Barry said. “I ran to the future. Five months. I-” He gestured at the article on the wall. “I saw-”

“You saw the Crisis?” Lily asked. “But the date hasn’t changed.”

“The by-line has,” Wally said. “Judy Greer. What happened to Iris’ name?”

“Cobalt,” Barry said.

“But we stopped him. We threw the Stone in the Speed Force, we stopped him, he can’t-”

“We didn’t,” Barry said. “It was- We were on Infantino Street, the news was talking about Morillo’s trial, and he- He-”

“That’s why Morillo threw you last night,” Eddie said.

“And why you hesitated earlier,” Lily said. “You were trying to change the future.”

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner, Bare?” Iris asked.

“I saw you die,” Barry said. “Cobalt kills you right in front of me, and I can’t stop it then. But if we can change the future, I can stop it now.”

“Not this way. Promise me not this way.”

“Iris-” Wally started.

“No,” Iris said. “You two do not do this. Just- Just give me a minute, Walls.”

“I’ll get Dad.”

“No. We can’t tell Dad, Wally, can you imagine what this will do to him?”

“He’s our dad. And Caitlin-”

“Not yet,” Iris said. “Not yet. I can’t- I can’t do that right now. Just the five of us for now.”

“Jay said it was a possible future,” Barry said. “Just a possible future.”

“Which means we can change it,” Lily said. “If we have all the variables.”

“If Cisco can vibe it,” Eddie said. “Just Cisco. There has to be a way to change the future.”

“Thank you,” Iris said.

“I don’t like not telling Dad,” Wally said. “I’ll let you decide how you feel about keeping this from Caitlin. But fine. I won’t say anything. Yet.”


	7. Alternative Timelines

S.T.A.R. Labs did have a lot of empty rooms. But it wasn't hard to find Iris in the Time Vault.

She didn't have the newspaper up.

Still.

Cisco sat next to her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi, Cisco."

"Want to talk about it?"

"I don't know what to do. The one person who could really understand isn't here."

"I know," Cisco said. "And it sucks."

"I'm twenty-seven. I'm not ready to die. There's stuff I want to do. I want to get married. I want a family, I want to keep reporting, I want..."

"Iris," Cisco said. "I know everyone's been telling you this. I know you need to talk about what happens if we're wrong. But you have to believe that we will do everything in our power to stop this. Your choice changed the future before."

"Just a by-line."

"You didn't think that when it was about changing Barry's future. Almost every other timeline, you've written that article. We just have to shift back into one of those. But when you need to talk about in case, when you're not feeling optimistic, you can talk to me."

"Thanks, Cisco."

"But Barry already said my vibe was slightly different from what he saw. Us knowing, that's already changed it."

"You really think we can."

"There are countless timelines. Here." Cisco offered Iris his hand and pulled her into a vibe.

Central was shining, but it was obvious they were new buildings. Cisco focused on the waterfront.

A bench was there, with flowers, looking out across the water. Dante was sitting there, between Barry and Linda.

"That's good," Cisco said. "They found each other. I thought this Barry would be left alone. And Dante..."

"Where are we?" Iris asked.

"This is the timeline our Barry left," Cisco said. "The one Mark Mardon destroyed Central City." Cisco focused again, and now they were standing at the top of a hill overlooking Central at the feet of a bronze statue of the Flash. Wally was looking up into Barry's eyes, with one vibrating hands.

Iris reached out for him.

"You can't touch him," Cisco said. "We're not really here. This is the timeline where I wasn't close enough to the speed dampener, and Zoloman killed Barry."

"But then..."

"He was here for Barry's speed. He didn't need to come back if there was no Barry for him to take it from. We took the fight to him. All of us, Ronnie and Jason, Jax and Martin, Oliver, Laurel, Dig, Sara, Ray, other me even made Lily another Cold Gun. We saved Jesse and we sealed the breaches. And then we stopped. We didn't have a Flash anymore. But I take it this Wally just had a run in with their Cobalt. Or maybe there was something else."

"Can we breach here?"

"I don't know. I'm sure their Cisco will find out soon though. One more."

Cisco focused on a vibe he'd had a few months ago. Iris and Caitlin were both in white dresses, hands together, and flowers surrounding them.

He stepped back into the Time Vault and a drop of blodd left his nose. Iris handed him a tissue.

"Thanks," Cisco said.

"That last one..."

"I vibe a lot when I sleep. I don't remember most, but I remember that flash. I think it's our future. Maybe it's another timeline, I don't know. I try not to vibe the future too much. Or other timelines. It gets confusing, and there's only so much one person can remember. It would be a nice future."

"I was thinking about it. We said we'd talk after Zoom, but then Caitlin's powers kicked in and we haven't yet. And I can't now."

"One tiny change can create entire new timelines," Cisco said. "If we make enough changes, we can do anything. Have you told Caitlin yet?"

"Not yet. I will. I just don't know how. I haven't told Dad either. Did you tell Hartley?"

"I told him I'm helping you with something and you'll tell him when you're ready. He understands. If you need help telling them."

"Thank you."

* * *

Wally taking down Morrillo instead of Barry hadn't changed the big event yet. Iris' big article taking down those arms dealers hadn't either, but it had been awesome. Julian joining Team Labs hadn't changed it yet, but that might be because they hadn't told him what they were trying to do yet.

Cisco looked at the headlines again. Gorillas attack Central City, that had to be Grodd, which meant avoiding Earth-2 probably. Music Meister, he didn't know who that was. Nothing immediately jumped out.

"Cisco, get up to the Cortex," Lily's voice came over the P.A. system.

Cisco opened a breach and jumped in. Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously? You couldn't walk from downstairs?"

"I thought it might be an emergency."

"Barry and Wally are racing," Linda said. "We're taking bets."

* * *

Wally wasn't having much luuck phasing. Barry had left for a crime scene- with the same description as the one Julian was currently working on with S.T.A.R. Labs- and Wally was stilll mostly launching himself at the sheet of wood.

Cisco and Hartley were attempting to provide support.

"Maybe you need a break," Hartley said. "It was months before Barry learnt to phase."

"And that was because he had a bomb strapped to his arm," Cisco said. He paused. "I'm not suggesting we try that. But the added pressure helped."

"Barry's decribed phasing before," Wally said. "I don't know why I just can't get it."

"You've been running headfirst into everything," Hartley said. "How did Thawne describe phasing?"

"Oh," Cisco said. He touched the wood with one hand and rested his other on Wally's shoulder. Cisco focused.

The Cortex looked more or less the same. Cisco could hear Barry asking what to do. How to phase.

"Focus on the lightning," Thawne said. "You're part of the Speed Force. Embrace it."

Cisco let go of Wally and stepped back.

"You have to embrace being part of the Speed Force," Cisco said. "The Speed Force connects you to the multiverse, you need to step back and focuse on that connection."

"How do I find it?"

"Close your eyes," Cisco said. "Feel the vibrations. Everything has them, every particle in existence, across every world. Focus, Wally. Feel the vibrations of the wood. And run."

Wally hit the wood again.

"I think that's enough phasing practise for today," Hartley said.

* * *

Barry was back in the Cortex, talking to Julian mostly.

"Something must have done this, Barry was saying. "I can't find any link between Julio Mendez and Stuart Holtzman, there's no-"

"Do you have pictures?" Wally asked.

"Sure," Barry said. He showed Wally two photographs. "You know them?"

"They both worked for C.C.P.D. in my Alchemy dreams."

"You think this is connected to that?" Lily asked.

"There are still some unidentified husks," Barry said. "It's not impossible."

"But those are dreams," Julian said.

"Of another reality," Caitlin said. "And Wally was the Flash there, it des seem likely he crossed paths with most of C.C.P.D."

"Dad was still a detective. I don't remember everyone, but Dad-"

"Joe is at Jitters," Barry said. "He's expecting us anyway, he wants to introduce us to Cecile's daughter, we can both run now, make sure he's okay, then figure this out. Deal?"

Wally nodded.

* * *

There wasn't much Cisco could help Julian and Caitlin with, so he retreated to his lab and picked up his meta-cuffs again. He just had to get the charge to last longer, then they'd be ready for C.C.P.D.

He didn't get called back up to the Cortex until Barry and Wally were back, with Iris and Joe.

"The bullets turned to dust," Wally was saying when Cisco walked in. "And he was after Dad and he-"

"And Alchemy gave him his powers," Julian said.

"You also gave Wally his powers, and Frankie," Barry said. "Frankie who is doing much better now. Cobalt used you, you didn't know Yorkin would do this."

"What's going on?" Cisco asked.

"The two people from ealier were targetted by a metahuman who just came after Dad," Iris said.

"You three, it's fine," Joe said. "We're all fine. What you need to focus on is finding Yorkin, before he finds his next target."

"It would help if we knew his next target," Barry said.

"Wally does," Lily said.

"I do?"

"You recognised Mendez and Holtzman from your dreams."

"But only after, it's too fuzzy. I don't even know if I met Yorkin."

"He's a metahuman criminal, you were a Flash, there's a good chance you did," Iris said. "And that's an alternate timeline, Cisco, can you vibe it?"

"I can try," Cisco said.

* * *

C.C.P.D. looked similar. Maybe the technology looked a little better but Cisco was guessing this was the future. Maybe the near future, but certainly not 2016.

Wally was by a desk, waiting. He seemed nervous, and there was something in his hand. Cisco couldn't see it properly, it was too small, and too hidden.

Cisco could see Julio Mendez- the captain in this timeline- and he could see Captain Singh too. But Captain Singh had a lab  coat on, and Barry was following him, carrying a large box. Definitely the near future, this Barry was blonder, slightly broader, maybe even taller, or maybe he was just carrying himself differently. Whichever way, he looked older than their Barry.

There was Joe, talking to Mendez. He looked older too, with a dusting of grey in his hair. He looked tired.

And there was Yorkin, handcuffed with something that looked like Cisco's meta-cuffs he was working on, between Holtzman and a woman. He concentrated on the badge.

Cisco pulled himself out of the vibe and let go of Wally's shoulder.

"Stone," he said. "The other person who arrested Yorkin was called Stone. Lady, average height, brown hair."

"Laura Stone?" Joe asked. "I know her, she's a P.I."

"We don't know how to stop Yorkin though," Lily said. "We can find Laura Stone, but we can't-"

"Yes, we can," Caitlin said. "His powers cause the rapid degeneration of cells-"

"Which is the opposite of what Barry and Wally's do," Iris said.

"Exactly. Speedster blood might neutralise his powers, at least temporarily."

"Okay." Barry rolled up his sleeve. "Do you want some now?"

"It would be useful to test the hypothesis."

"I need to check on Cecile and Joanie," Joe said. "Then I'll look for Laura."

* * *

Joe clearly found Laura Stone pretty easily, given his panic alarm went off only an hour later. His G.P.S. was moving fast.

Barry appeared in the Cortex.

"He's on the train to Starling," Lily said.

Barry nodded. "Ready, Kid Flash?"

"Um..."

"We'll come with you," Hartley said to Wally. "Cisco, let's suit up."

"Meet you there," Cisco said.

Cisco suit was in his lab. Superspeed would be really useful for this part.

Hartley already had his cloak and mask on, and his flute in his belt.

"You should really make that do something," Cisco said, nodding at it. "What if we let it do the same as your gloves?"

"Cisco."

"Right."

Cisco opened a breach next to the train track. A huge pile of rubble was blocking it.

The train was too close to stop.

"Flash?" Cisco pressed a finger to his earpiece. "You're evacuating people, right?"

"He's going to phase the train," Wally said.

"Is that possible?" Hartley asked.

"I really hope so!" Barry said.

Hartley raised his gloves and aimed his vibrations at the rubble.

"Vibe, help."

"On it," Cisco said. He shot his own blasts.

The train was too close.

The train was vibrating.

"Guys," Wally said. "I see Yorkin."

"Kid Flash, you're going to have to deal with him," Barry said. "Phase your blood into him."

"What? But I can't-"

"You, you can," Hartley said. "We believe in you."

The rubble was starting to shift. The train was slowing, but it was too close, too-

"Piper, stop," Cisco said. He lowered his hands as the train shot through the rubble, leaving it to collapse in its wake.

The train ground to a stop.

"Vibe?" Wally asked. "Do you have some of those meta-cuffs?"

"Here." Cisco pulled his prototype out of his pocket and turned to give them to Wally.

Who was standing with his hand on Yorkin's shoulder.

"You phased?"

"I phased."

"Awesome." Cisco high-fived Wally, then put the cuffs on Yorkin. Joe had already disembarked the train, with Barry leaning against him.

"Hi, Detective," Wally said. Joe nodded.

"I need to wait here until the line can be cleared and to get statements," Joe said. "You did good, Kid Flash."

"Why don't you run Yorkin to C.C.P.D.?" Barry said. Cisco missed the next thing he said, it was too fast, but Wally was beaming. "Oh man, does anyone else want Big Belly Burger?"

* * *

Iris, Lily, Wally, Eddie, Barry, and Cisco gathered in the breach room that evening. Hartley had nodded and signed to Cisco he'd keep Caitlin, Julian, Laurel, and Linda distracted before they'd left.

"Dad's with Cecile and Joanie," Iris said. "I think he's telling Joanie more Kid Flash stories."

"You were the hero today, Wally," Barry said. "Sorry I didn't see."

"You phased a whole train, I'll let you off this time," Wally said. "You vibed the other timeline."

"I did," Cisco said. Lily pulled out a notebook.

"It's everything we know," she said. "And other calculations. Have you told anyone yet?"

"Not yet," Iris said. "I don't know how. People bring up summer plans and I don't know how to tell them I won't be there."

"Except you will, because we're going to save you," Wally said. "What do we know?"

"It's on Infantino Street," Barry said. "We know the headlines, we know the date, and the time."

"And we know Cobalt escapes wherever he is," Lily said. "But we don't know how."

"And we know he's currently trapped somewhere and has blue lightning," Eddie said.

"It's not Zoom," Barry said. "I watched him become Black Flash, it's not him. He's dead. I think. Undead?"

"Zom-"

"Please don't say it," Lily interrupted Cisco. "Blackout did not help with that phobia. Eliza Harmon had blue lightning before she disappeared, didn't she?"

"Her powers came from Velocity," Barry said. "I don't know if she was connected to the Speed Force in the same way Wally and I are."

"I think it's connected to the other timeline," Wally said. "He's been giving people powers from that timeline; they have to be connected somehow."

"Maybe Barry trapped him in the other timeline?" Lily said. "He could be anyone."

"Or it's Eobard," Iris said. "The Legends said he was trying to change reality, and we know he's unstable in this timeline."

"He's always had red lightning," Eddie said.

"If Trajectory's changed colour before she died, maybe it was never about Velocity," Cisco said. "Maybe lightning turns blue if a speedster is dying. Or maybe it's because their relationship with the Speed Force has changed?"

"And we can't discount him just because we know one Eobard is running around history after this stick thing," Lily said. "We know he can time travel."

"And if the Philosopher's Stone was calcified Speed Force, maybe the suit is too," Cisco said. "To protect him from Time Wraiths?"

"He pretended to be Harrison Wells for years," Iris said. "It wouldn't be the first time he's used another name to throw you off. And he was pretty set on us being married in his timeline, so maybe that has something to do with it."

"And he can't hurt Eddie," Wally said. "We already know that."

"Maybe," Barry said. "He said I trapped him. And that I took everything from him. He said that he was going to fix my mistakes."

"Because you didn't save your mother," Eddie said. "You didn't undo his mistake, and he's being erased."

"It wouldn't have undone it," Cisco said. "He changed the timeline by running there, you could change it, but it wouldn't be the same. You don't know what it would have done, you did the right thing. This is on him, not you, and not Eddie, but please, do not shoot yourself ever again."

"I will do my best," Eddie said. "I have an appointment in a few days and that will be completely unnecessary."

A breach opened and a red and yellow streak ran out.

"Jesse," Wally said.

"Grodd's got my dad," Jesse said


	8. The Return of Grodd (Again)

They'd taken Jesse up to the Cortex. Joe and Barry's dad had both arrived, and Julian seemed confused.

"What's wrong, Jesse?" Linda asked.

"Grodd took my dad," Jesse said. "He got sent a complex algorithm inviting him to Gorilla City, but everyone else is dead and I can't find Dad anywhere. Grodd took him, I know he did."

"It's all right," Barry's dad said. "He'll be okay, Jesse."

"But what if-"

"If they invited him, it was for a reason," Hartley said. "Which means he'll still be there, and we can save him."

"You want us to go to Gorilla City?" Lily asked.

"Not all of us," Cisco said. "Barry and probably me because I always get dragged into sewers and parallel Earths and other disasters."

"Parallel Earths?" Julian asked. "Gorilla City?"

"Why don't you just come over here quickly, I'll explain," Linda said. She pulled Julian to one side.

"We do need your breaches," Barry said. "Sorry, Cisco."

"No, no, it's fine, last time we went to Earth-2 went great."

"You've visited us since then," Jesse said. "I'm coming too."

"Pretty sure Harry would kill us."

"Actually," Barry said. "Can you protect Earth-1 for me? Wally might need some help."

"Wally?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah," Wally said. He vibrated his hand. "Surprise?"

"You're a speedster too?"

"It's a long story. Hey, wait, why can't I go with-"

"Last time you went to Earth-2, you tried to punch Zoom in the face," Joe said.

"He started it."

"Hart," Cisco signed. "I think you might need to keep an eye on them."

"So, Barry and Cisco," Hartley said aloud. "Anyone else?"

"I'll go," Caitlin said. "Grodd always liked me."

"Are you sure?" Iris asked.

"I'll be fine."

"I can stay here," Lily said. "I have something I'm working on."

Gorillas were in one of the headlines. If this was something to do with that...

"And me," Laurel said. "It's been a while since I was out in the field, I know you have a suit somewhere, Cisco."

"Definitely," Cisco said. "I'll be right back."

"Are you sure?" Lily asked.

"I want to help," Laurel said.

"Count me in," Julian said. "An adventure in a parallel univierse seems rather exciting."

"It'll be dangerous," Barry said.

"Please, Allen, I've been on expeditions before, I know plenty about wilderness survival."

"I've been..." Barry paused. "Camping?"

"I don't think that's quite the same, babe," Eddie whispered. Barry ignored him.

"I'm sure that will be helpful," Caitlin said.

* * *

Earth-2 equitorial Africa wasn't as warm as Barry was expecting. He was still pretty sure this was a rainforest though.

Everything was wet.

"My shoes are not designed for this at all," Cisco said. He, Laurel, and Barry had all elected to wear their suits (Laurel the new one Cisco and Lily had been working on with the blue jacket), and Barry was slightly regretting it. Julian seemed a lot more comfortable in his Indiana Jones get-up.

"I did suggest walking boots," Julian said. "Though a good pair do take a while to break in. Jesse said Gorilla City is only a few miles north-west of here."

Barry's stomach rumbled, and Julian produced something from his rucksack.

"Flapjack." He offered Barry a piece. "Gold DofE expedition, we practically lived off flapjack."

"Thanks," Barry said. He ate a piece. "Which way?"

* * *

Maybe Julian wasn't so bad, Barry mused. Him knowing made coming and going from the lab easier. And he did seem to enjoy walking through trees and periodic rain.

And Caitlin liked him. Barry stepped back a little while Julian talked to Caitlin and Cisco about something.

"Not used to walking for this long?" Laurel asked, slipping into step next to him.

"Not really," Barry said. "Normally I'd run."

"We should probably be glad Ollie isn't here. I'm sure he'd have an island story about how hiking is good for you."

Barry laughed.

"You didn't have to come," he said.

"I know. I wanted to. I miss being the Black Canary."

"I get it. When Zoom took my Speed, it was like there was a part of me missing. You're a hero. It's who you are. And Star City is your home."

"I like Central. I have a good job, you guys, my mother. I miss my dad sometimes, and Ollie, but Star City is the place where I lost my sister twice, and Tommy. It's not the same. Moving gave me a fresh start, and it's not like I can't visit them."

"But being the Black Canary is part of you now, and you're still hanging around with a group of superheroes?"

"Something like that. Ollie's found a new Canary. I asked him to."

"When you thought you were going to die, and then were hurt for months. There's no rule that says there can only be one Black Canary. We'd love it, if you ever want to help us out in the field."

"Maybe. I'm still not as fit as I was."

"My back still hurts most of the time. We put ourselves in dangerous situations, I think getting hurt is inevitable."

"Maybe. There was something else I wanted to ask you. How did you know you're..." Laurel trailed off and Barry frowned slightly. This didn't seem like it was about superpowers.

Laurel looked a little lost.

"Or is it rude to ask?"

"Oh," Barry said. "You mean when I worked out I'm bi? I guess I didn't really think about it for a long time, it was only after Iris did some reading that I realised the way I felt about people and about genders and things wasn't the way everyone did. And then I thought Joe and my dad would be fine with it so I didn't really need a whole coming out thing, I'd just wait for it to come up in conversation, and then I forgot to tell Joe for like a year until I made an awful joke trying to park a car. In hindsight, I'm pretty sure I also forgot to tell my dad, I just mentioned a boyfriend, but he went with it, so I guess he figured it out. Why?"

"It's confusing."

"I guess. I had Iris, so I figured this was the normal, but I know Hartley had a hard time coming to terms with anything thanks to his parents being knobs, and Wally took a little while because everyone he knew was apparently straight and he didn't realise there were other options. Oh. You know you can change your mind if something doesn't fit later, and you don't have to pick a label if you don't want. You could just call yourself queer and leave it, if that's what makes you comfortable. Labels are for your benefit, no one else's. You could leave it for now if it's too confusing, and maybe one will make sense later?"

"Thanks, Barry. I guess I started thinking after I found out about Sara and Nyssa, but being in Central with you guys, and all of you being so comfortable with it, it just got me thinking."

"I get it. I won't tell anyone, not until you're ready."

"Are you two okay back there?" Cisco asked.

"Fine," Barry said. "Do you think I should tell my dad I'm bi? I just realised I forgot that bit."

"How long have you been dating Eddie?" Caitlin asked.

"Ten months? And then there was Hal when I was eighteen, Dad met him."

"I think Henry probably already knows," Cisco said. "Something's wrong."

Everything went black.

* * *

Something about Gorilla City seemed old. Of course, Barry could get a better look at the architecture if he wasn't locked inside a cage.

"Is everyone all right?" Laurel asked.

"Fine," Caitlin said.

"Can you phase?" Cisco asked. "You had trouble last time on Earth-2."

Barry focused, but he couldn't even vibrate. He could still feel the Speed Force humming under his skin, but it wasn't listening to him.

"No," he said. "I think something is blocking my powers, probably Grodd. Can you open a breach?"

Cisco raised his hand, shut his eyes, and nothing happened.

"No," he said. "I don't think I can vibe either, so I can't call for help."

"And there's nothing we can use to break out," Barry said.

Footsteps came from the doorway, down some stone stairs.

"Harry?" Caitlin asked. Harry didn't answer. He just turned to Barry.

"Knew you would come, Flash," Harry said. It didn't sound like Harry. And Harry always called him Allen, which meant-

"You were right, Grodd, I came," Barry said. "Let him go."

"Need him."

"For what?"

"You. Need your help."

"Help with what?"

"Solovar. Ruler of Gorilla Kind. He wishes to rule Human Kind also."

"Why?"

"Seen many dangers the humans cause. He will take Prime Earth. Not if you fight him."

"Why would I fight him?"

"Trespassers will die in the Arena."

"You really should have a sign saying that," Cisco said. "Maybe two."

"If Flash defeats Solovar, Gorillas won't follow him," Grodd said. "Will follow me."

"And what, you expect me to believe you'll keep them all here?" Barry asked.

"You sent me here. Prime Earth is still my home. There are humans I care for."

Grodd himself was now standing at the top of the stairs. Barry couldn't move. He tried, but nothing was responding to him.

Harry walked into the cell with them. Barry watched Caitlin and Cisco rush over to him, but Grodd had lowered the door again before Barry could move.

"For you. Proof of trust."

Grodd left, and Barry turned to Caitlin and Harry.

"That seems bad," Julian said.

"So, you have to fight a different gorilla, I guess," Cisco said. "How's Harry?"

"I think he'll be fine," Caitlin said. "Barry..."

"You have to fight," Laurel said. "You heard Grodd, you can't get out of fighting, it's our only way out of here."

"I'm not sure we can trust Grodd," Cisco said.

More footsteps came from the stairs. A gorilla larger than Grodd, silver, was with him.

_"More humans."_

The voice was in Barry's head, just like Grodd. It was just as diconcerting to have the voice by-pass his ears and appear in his thoughts.

_"Why are you here, Human?"_

"We just came looking for our friend," Barry said. "That's all. We didn't mean to trespass, if you let my friends go-"

_"Too late. You have been seen and your fate is sealed. It is our law."_

"I know. And I'll fight you. But if I win, will you let my friends go?"

_"You will not win, Human."_

"Then you don't have anything to worry about if you agree, do you?"

_"I accept."_

* * *

The Arena reminded Barry of the Coliseum in Rome. At least the picture in his old history textbook of what it probably looked like when it was originally built, except the crowd were gorillas, not Romans.

Maybe this was bad idea.

Solovar was definitely bigger than Grodd. This was a really terrible idea.

At least he had his speed back?

Oh, no, Solovar got back up after a supersonic punch, this was going to end so badly.

Cisco was trying to be encouraging in the comms, but it would have been easier if Solovar wasn't throwing Barry around like a rag doll. Thank goodness for accelerated healing.

"Caitlin, you're a genius," Cisco said. "Barry, time to steal a trick from Reverse Flash and Zoom."

Phase his hand in Solovar's chest. He had to-

Solovar was right on top of him and Barry reacted. Solovar tumbled to the ground as Barry tripped him and phased. He could feel Solovar's heart, he felt sick-

Barry wrenched his arm out before he could do any damage.

 _"To win, you must kill me,"_ Solovar said.

"No," Barry said. "No, I won't. I can't."

_"Then you cannot win."_

"I know. But I don't want to fight you. I don't want to hurt you. I really did just come here looking for my friend.

Everything was blurry. The edges of his vision were going black. This wasn't supposed to happen.

* * *

Barry woke up back in the cell.

"Huh," he said. "I'm not dead."

"Despite your best efforts," Caitlin said.

"Does that mean that still counts as winning?"

_"Flash."_

Grodd was at the top of the stairs again. Barry pushed himself up. Standing was not a good idea.

Laurel stood next to him so Barry could lean on her.

"Grodd," Barry said. "Come to let us go?"

_"Solovar was defeated. He showed weakness. I lead gorillas now."_

"Great," Barry said. "Just like you wanted. So, can we go now, or-"

_"Still need you."_

"To do what?"

_"Open a breach to Prime Earth."_

"What did I tell you," Cisco said. "We can't trust the telepathic gorilla who keeps fighting us."

"You're the one planning on attacking Central," Barry said.

_"You sent me here. Took my home from me. Now I will take yours."_

"Not if I refuse to open a breach," Cisco said.

_"Flash and friends are family, Father said. Will do anything to protect each other."_

"Yeah, and some of that family is on Earth-1, so why would I do something that would result in them getting hurt?"

_"Will spare Hartley."_

"What?" Cisco stepped back.

_"Hartley is kind. Friend. Will spare Hartley if you open the breach."_

"And if I don't?"

"Grodd, please," Caitlin said.

_"Caitlin. Betrayed me."_

"No, we just wanted to give you a home with others like you, we were trying to help you."

_"Will give you half an hour."_

Grodd left and Barry slumped against Laurel. She helped him sit back down.

"Hartley stayed in S.T.A.R. when we sent Grodd through the breach," Caitlin said. "He must know Hartley was still involved."

"He already lied," Laurel said. "Cisco-"

"I'm not opening a breach for him," Cisco said. "You have to kill me."

"Excuse me?" Caitlin asked.

"I can't open a breach if I'm dead."

"Absolutely not."

"No way, dude," Barry said.

"That is a little fast for you to jump into suggesting that," Julian said.

Harry groaned and opened his eyes.

"Oh look, Harry's awake, just in time to side with me on the point Grodd can't invade our Earth if I'm dead, so the logical thing to do is make me dead."

"That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard, Ramon," Harry said. "Where's Jesse?"

"Safe, on Earth-1," Caitlin said. "How are you feeling?"

"I have a headache, it's fine. What are you doing here?"

"We came to rescue you," Cisco said. "We may have encountered some obstacles. Look, Barry, we cannot let Grodd invade Central City."

The headlines. Cisco was talking about the future headlines.

"I know," Barry said. "And I also know if you don't drop this in the next two sentences, my first phone call when we get home will be to Doctor Finkel and my second will be to Dante."

"You wouldn't."

"You threatened to call Dad and Joe when Wally and I were going to hand ourselves over to the Dominators, then we found another way, we will find another way this time."

"What's a Dominator?" Julian asked.

"I'll explain later," Caitlin said.

"Who are you?" Harry asked.

"Julian Albert," Julian said. Harry frowned.

"I'll explain later," Caitlin said.

"There must be another way out of here," Laurel said. "Caitlin, do you have your powers?"

"Powers?" Harry asked.

"Look, we have a lot to catch you up on," Cisco said. "Just go with it."

"I can't," Caitlin said. "I'm dangerous, I could hurt someone."

"Nah," Cisco said. "You're Caitlin, you couldn't hurt a fly."

"I can't control it."

"And it wouldn't help break the bars," Barry said. "I don't think you could hit the lever from here either. You could freeze me though."

"And how is that going to help us?"

"Same trick we tried with Zoom. We fake my death. Grodd takes me outside. I open the door."

"But I'll hurt you."

"I trust you. Snart's frozen me in a block of ice before, I just need to vibrate enough to warm up. I'll be fine."

"You're still hurt. And you don't have your powers."

"If this is Grodd he'll stop once he thinks I'm dead. And I've broken through his control before."

"Caitlin," Laurel said. "You can do this; we know you can."

Caitlin nodded.

* * *

Barry had never been so cold. His head was weirdly cloudy,

He felt Grodd drag him and leave him somewhere. He felt the prickle of lightning under his skin, itching to get out.

"He's gone," Cisco said. Probably Cisco.

Barry focused. He could move his toes. Start with his toes.

He could feel steam coming off him. Everything seemed much clearer now he was wram.

Barry jumped up and opened the door. Laurel and Cisco both slipped his arms over their shoulders. Which was nice, because he did still hurt a lot.

"Cisco," Harry said.

"I can't here," Cisco said. "Grodd's still blocking my powers."

"Then we should hurry," Julian said.

* * *

Everyone was waiting in S.T.A.R. Labs. Eddie pulled Barry in close, and the tickle of his powers washed over Barry's body.

"Again?" Eddie whispered.

"I'll tell you the whole story later," Barry said.

"Dad!"

"Jesse!"

Harry tugged Jesse tight.

* * *

The next day was quiet, which was nice. Harry went back to Earth-2 first thing, but Jesse was hanging around for a while.

"How's hero work going?" Barry asked after a few laps around the Speed Lab with her once he'd finished work. Jesse shrugged. "What's up?"

"My Earth doesn't have a great history with speedsters. Someone published a newspaper article the other month with the truth that Zoloman was Zoom and pretending to be Jay Garrick."

"And they're assuming things about you too?"

"I know you guys call me Jesse Quick, but they've been calling me the Flash. Said I was taking up a mantle. It's fine because I know it's your mantle, and the real Jay's, I'm the Flash like you guys, but they don't know about you. So now everyone knows about Zoloman they think I'll end up being a villain too."

"But you won't. You can prove them wrong. Give your world the Flash they deserve. But I get that you need a break."

"Thanks. Ronnie and Jason have been helping me, and the other Barry and Iris. They're nice."

"That's good."

"I'll go back. Maybe just a few days here will help."

"Stay as long as you need."

Cisco stuck his head through the door.

"Hey, Barry, can I talk to you a second? About that thing?"

"Sure," Barry said. "I won't be a minute, Jesse."

He stepped out into the corridor with Cisco. He seemed on edge.

"What is it?"

"I vibed that night again, to see if anything had changed?"

"It's still..."

"At the moment. Iris knows; I told her first. That's- The headline about the gorilla attack on Central is still there."

"I don't understand, Grodd can't get here without you."

"He must have found another way."

"How? When will he-"

"I can't answer either of those questions, but I think soon. I'll keep vibing, but I don't know how to tell everyone when all I know is that headline, not a time, or a place, or anything."

"I'll talk to Iris."

* * *

Iris was in the Time Vault again. Barry engulfed her in a hug.

"We're going to fix this. I don't know how yet, but we will."

"I trust you, Bare."

"Cisco said he doesn't know how we tell the others about Grodd without telling them he's been vibing."

"I can't."

"Irey, the longer you take to tell them, the harder it's going to be. I should have told you right away. Or maybe I shouldn't have told you."

"No, no, I'm glad you told me," Iris said. "It means I can be ready."

"Can you?"

"No. I can't tell Dad; I can't put Dad through this."

"He's Joe, you need him."

"Would you tell Henry? If it were you?"

"He knows what that newspaper says," Barry said. "But that's years away."

"Dad won't understand," Iris said. "I need Mom."

"Fran-"

"She went through it. Being told she had a set amount of time left. She would know, if she was here."

"But we'll save you."

"I need you to listen to me. I know you will do your best. But I also need to consider you failing."

"But-"

"Barry. You are my best friend. I need you to promise me that if it goes wrong, you'll look after Caitlin and Dad. We both know Dad will shut down, and Caitlin's going through a lot right now. They'll need our family. Promise me."

"I promise."

"Good. We have to find Grodd."

* * *

An army of giant telepathic gorillas sounded easy to find.

Apparently, they were not.

Especially not when Cisco, Lily, Wally, Eddie, Iris, and Barry were the only ones sitting in Cisco's lab looking.

"We can't even fight them," Wally said. "There's not enough of us."

"We don't have to," Cisco said. He sat up. "They're following Grodd because you beat Solovar, right?"

"So, what, we just have to beat Grodd?" Barry asked.

"We don't have to. We have to prove Grodd isn't the one they should be following. I need to go to Earth-2."

"What?" Eddie asked.

"I need to find Solovar. Hopefully explain."

"On your own?" Iris asked.

"It'll be fine. I'll vibe you as soon as I find him."

Cisco opened a breach and jumped through.

"Should one of us go after him?" Lily asked.

"I don't think we can," Eddie said.

"What if Grodd's not here yet?" Wally asked. "What if Cisco just went back and that was exactly what Grodd need-"

"Wally, it's okay," Iris said. "Cisco will be fine."

"But if he's not-"

"I can try running," Barry said. "But I don't know if I'll end up on Earth-2 or somewhere else."

"We have extrapolators," Lily said. An alarm sounded. "Never mind, Grodd's here."

"What is that?" Eddie asked.

"Someone's just launched a short-range missile," Hartley's voice came over the speakers. "Barry, you need to get to Fort Reynolds, it's going to hit Central City."

"I'm-"

"No," Barry interrupted Wally. "You find Jesse and get ready to evacuate the city."

Barry ran.

* * *

Hartley walked Barry through getting to the keypad to shut the missle down (Barry was not going to ask how he knew that, or how he'd known it was going to fire). But thousands of combinations in just seconds, it wasn't going to be enough. It wasn't enough.

"We need another plan," Barry yelled at fifteen seconds. Come on, come on-

"Where's Cisco?" Caitlin asked. "He could vibe this."

"He, um, took Eddie back to C.C.P.D., to warn Captain Singh," Wally who had actually taken Eddie back to C.C.P.D. said.

The lights turned green, and the missile shut down. Barry slumped back in relief.

"Don't relax yet," Lily said. "That was just the distraction, Grodd and an army of gorillas are heading for State and Oakhill."

"What?" Caitlin asked. "How?"

"I'll call Cisco, get him to meet you there, I have an idea."

"Wally, Jesse-"

"Already on our way, Flash," Jesse said. Barry raced to join them.

"Okay," Wally said. "Three of us and an army of gorillas. Am I the only one with a bad feeling about this?"

"We just have to focus on Grodd," Barry said. "Somehow."

* * *

Or maybe get thrown into a building, that worked too.

Three speedsters versus over a hundred giant, telepathic gorillas really were not good odds. Wally and Jesse were doing well- Barry made a mental note to teach them both to throw lightning later- but there was no way the three of them could win.

Barry raced back to his feet to try a few more supersonic punches. Get a few more people out the way. Captain Singh had arrived and started a roadblock behind them, but it still wouldn't stop Grodd.

A breach opened and Cisco jumped through, in his Vibe suit, with Solovar and a woman Barry had never met.

 _"Grodd,"_ Solovar said. _"Enough."_

_"You no longer rule, Solovar!"_

_"You betrayed me, after we gave you a home. I challenge you."_

Grodd snarled and leapt towards Slovar. At least the other gorillas stopped while the two fought.

Solovar's weapons clashed with Grodd's armour, and the two fought. But Solovar was bigger, and stronger.

It didn't take long for him to have Grodd pinned.

"Don't! Barry shouted. Solovar looked at him. "I know he betrayed you, I know it's your way, but you don't have to kill him. He's from here, we can take care of him. We have a friend called Lyla; she can take of him."

Solovar nodded and stepped back. Grodd didn't move; he was still unconscious.

"Thank you for helping us," Barry said. "I'm sorry for before."

 _"You could be a good ally to our kind,"_ Solovar said. _"Never come back to Gorilla City."_

"You have my word," Barry said. He held out his hand for Solovar to shake and tried not to wince as he moved his shoulder.

"Right," Cisco said. "One big breach for a hundred gorillas coming up." Cisco opened one.

So did his new friend.

Barry stared as the two of them held the breaches open long enough for all the gorillas except Grodd to retreat through.

"Wow," Barry said once they were done. "Hey, I'm-"

He flew backwards and groaned as he hit the floor. At least there were a few bags of rubbish to break his fall. And possibly his nose, but he was pretty sure that was already broken.

"That's the Flash," Cisco said.

"Sorry!"

"It's cool." Barry lifted his arm with a thumbs up. "I'm just going to take a nap here now."

"He's fine," Wally said. Barry rolled over. "I know you, you're Charmer!" Cisco's new friend stared at him. "We met in another timeline."

"Charmer, I like that," she said. "You can call me Charmer if you want."

"Charmer here is a collector on her Earth," Cisco said. "Like interdimensional police, I think. She was tracking someone down when Grodd caught her and mind controlled her to open the breach."

"Mind control sucks," Jesse said. "Are you sure you're okay, Flash?"

"I am so tired," Barry said, and pulled himself up. "It's very nice to meet you, Charmer, thanks for you help."

"Yeah, it was really great," Cisco said. "Can you teach me how to react that quickly?"

"Interdimensional travel is banned on my Earth."

"But it's not here."

"I'll think about it, Vibe." Charmer opened another breach and disappeared.

"I like her," Cisco said.

"Yeah, me too," Wally said. "Want me to run you home, Flash?"

"I love you."

* * *

Barry's dad, Caitlin, and Eddie had all encouraged him to spend the night at S.T.A.R. Labs. Captain Singh had even suggested a sick day, but Barry insisted he was fine the next morning and went to work.

Lyla had picked Grodd up and taken him to A.R.G.U.S. Barry hoped he's stay put. He doubted it, but he hoped.

At least a few quiet days would be nice. He could spend some time training Wally and Jesse.

And he could keep working on a way to save Iris. There had to be a way.

* * *

Eddie was acting weird. Nervous. He kept fidgeting.

"What's going on?" Barry asked. They'd gone to Jitters for lunch, just them. It was nice.

"Nothing."

"Eddie."

"I asked my landlord for a second key," Eddie said.

"What?"

"I thought you might like a key."

"I..."

"You stay over all the time anyway. Half your stuff is there. You could offically move in if you wanted to. Or it could just be a key, I get it if you want to stay with your dad for a bit longer."

"Can I think about it?"

"It's not going to be ready for a few days." Eddie reached a hand across the table to cover one of Barry's. "Take all the time you need."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flapjack is good for walking, and it's easy to make, there's a recipe here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/flapjacks_86993. Where it says butter I normally use marge (it's cheaper) and just normal brown sugar instead of muscovado, and adding some dried fruits is also nice sometimes.
> 
> I've think I've seen Charmer used for Cindy in a couple of other fics and I have a feeling it was a name she used at one point in the comics, but I can't see a mention of that on the wiki so maybe it wasn't, I'm misremembering something, and it is just from fics.


	9. Team Labs and the Philosopher's Stone

Caitlin was getting nowhere. It was looking more and more like there wasn't a way to take away her powers.

But she had to. There had to be a way.

There had to.

* * *

Quiet weeks were good. Quiet weeks meant there was more time for her to try working on the cure. Julian had helped a little, he was trying, but he didn't really have any ideas either.

The Philosopher's Stone had to be the key. It had to give her answers.

Something had to give her answers.

* * *

Lily was working on something. She kept making notes in her notebook, frowning, then scribbling them out again. Hartley was cleaning his flute, and Cisco was patching up Barry's suit. Barry was downstairs in the Speed Lab with Wally and Jesse, Iris and Linda both had their laptops out, and Laurel was talking quietly to Eddie about something, probably a case.

Footsteps from the doorway probably meant Joe and Henry were here.

"Dad!" Lily said. She got up to hug him. "I thought you weren't back until tomorrow?"

"And you brought everyone with you," Cisco said.

"What are you guys doing here?" Laurel asked. She hugged Sara.

"What's Eobard done now?" Eddie asked.

"You know him?" Amaya asked.

"Yeah, he's my future great-something-grandson who time travelled back and killed Barry's mother, but he's a time remnant, he should have been erased from existence."

"Which is what we need to ask you about," Jax said. "Those Time Wraiths Barry mentioned?"

"They are not nice," Hartley said.

"What do they look like? Because there's this thing after Thawne."

"Like floating corpses covered in black shrouds."

"No, this thing runs," Ray said. "It still looks like a corpse, but-"

"Black Flash," Barry said. The Legends turned around, but Barry walked in to join their not-quite circle. Wally and Jesse were with him,

"That's what you called Zoom," Lily said.

"I thought he was dead," Sara said.

"He is," Barry said. "Or rather, he's Death. I asked Jay, Zoloman isn't the first Black Flash, and he won't be the last either. It's an old story, when we die, Black Flash comes to take us to the Speed Force."

"So, you're saying Reverse Flash is being chased by the Grim Speedster?" Nate asked. Barry nodded. "Seriously?"

"This timeline was created by him. It needs his remnant to be stable. But he shouldn't exist past the Singularity, so the Speed Force must have sent Black Flash after him."

"And we can't help." Wally said. "They'd send Time Wraiths and Black Flash after us too, right? Speedsters shouldn't mess with time."

"We'll stop him," Sara said. "We just need to get him to stay in one place long enough for Black Flash to catch him."

"Ray, you saw it?" Iris asked.

"I got stuck on the Moon with Thawne, apparently the Speed Force doesn't work up there, so we caught Thawne, but he was gone as soon as we re-entered Earth's atmosphere."

"Then why did Barry still have his Speed when we got picked up from the Dominator's ship?" Hartley asked.

"He has red lightning, maybe that has something to do with it," Lily said.

"Yeah, the Speed Force exists throughout the multiverse, it exists in space," Cisco said. "Sure, he can't run without gravity and something to push himself off, but the Moon has that."

"Maybe we should just be glad Ray is okay," Linda said.

"He said he was a professor at the Flash Museum," Ray said. Barry blinked.

"Flash Museum?" Jesse asked.

"It's from a different timeline," Hartley said. "I assume that means Barry can tell him anything he wants when we meet his young version, and he'll believe it."

"You mean I can tell Eobard there's no Speed Force on the Moon and he'll believe me just because it's me?" Barry asked. "This is the best thing ever; I'm going to tell him so much rubbish."

* * *

Nothing. Caitlin kept searching, and searching, and nothing. Her mother had no ideas, Cisco's power dampeners weren't a permanent solution, there was nothing.

And now Iris was pulling away from her, she was scared of her, Caitlin knew she could hurt her. Her doppelganger was Killer Frost, these powers hurt people.

There had to be something.

There had to be.

* * *

There was something important about how fast Wally had just run. Caitlin wasn't sure what, but she did know Cisco and Lily were cheering more than Wally winning a race.

Wally was beaming when they got back to the Cortex. Right up until he was against the wall, terrifed.

"Wally," Joe said. "You're okay."

"Cobalt's here," Wally said. "He was just here, I saw him-"

"He's not here," Jesse said. "If he was, he's gone now."

"He's messing with your head, like he did with Julian," Barry said.

"But he's supposed to be trapped. We got rid of the Stone, he's supposed to be trapped. If we can keep him trapped it won't matter if I'm fast enough or not. And if he's in my head then he knows we know what he's planning."

"You know what he's planning?" Linda asked. Wally froze. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't meant to, I-"

"Wally," Laurel said. "Are your dreams back?"

"No."

"I ran to the future," Barry said. "After I threw the Stone into the Speed Force."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Henry asked.

"I asked him not to," Iris said. "Barry saw Cobalt kill me."

Caitlin dropped the test tube she was holding. It shattered on the floor and she barely noticed. Iris-

Joe was almsot shaking.

"Dad-"

"You've known this for over a month and you kept it to yourself?"

"I didn't want-"

"No, this is the sort of thing you tell your father, Iris! And you two knew that." He turned to Wally and Barry. "You two know you don't keep secrets like this."

"I asked them not to say anything yet," Iris said. "Wally told me I should, I was going to, I just didn't know how."

"When?" Caitlin whispered.

"Two months."

Iris met her eyes, but Caitlin couldn't breathe. Two months. Two months-

She walked into the lab and pulled out the tiny Stone fragment. She droppd it in Cisco's hand.

"Caitlin-"

"I thought it could help get rid of my powers. It's just a tiny piece, but now you're saying I put your life in danger?"

"You didn't know."

"Because you didn't trust me."

"That's not-"

Caitlin didn't wait to hear the end of Iris' sentence.

* * *

Hartley and Cisco found her. Down by the Pipeline. They sat either side of her.

"Iris is talking to Joe," Hartley said. "She'll be down soon though."

"She lied to me."

"You both kept secrets from each other."

"I just wanted to get rid of this so I wouldn't hurt her."

"And she didn't know how to tell you something that would hurt you."

"Did you know?"

"No. Cisco told me he was helping Iris with something she wasn't ready to talk about yet, that's all."

"You knew?"

"Eddie and Lily were with Iris and Wally when they confronted Barry about why he was acting weird," Cisco said. "And they asked me to vibe it to try and work out how to stop it. Where did you get on a metahuman cure?"

"Nowhere," Caitlin said. "I can't even work out what the Stone is. That's not important right now, we have to get rid of it."

"We will," Hartley said. "We'll throw it in the Speed-"

"Nope," Cisco said. "Nope, he's there."

"What?"

"Cobalt. He's in the Speed Force. That's where Eobard ran to protect himself from being erased, and we know he's connected to the old timeline."

"You think Eobard is Cobalt?" Caitlin asked.

"It was a theory, that's why only speedsters can see him and what he meant by eternity, he's in the Speed Force, and the Stone is made of Speed Force."

"We can't throw it in there," Hartley said. He stood up and ran.

* * *

Iris was just outside the Cortex, with Joe. He was hugging her, and both of them had tears on their cheeks. Cisco and Hartley shot past.

"They think Cobalt is in the Speed Force," Caitlin said. Iris nodded and they stepped into the Cortex. Barry was in the annex with Henry and Eddie, Laurel, Lily Linda, and Julian were in the middle, and-

"Where are Wally and Jesse?" Hartley asked.

"They were right there," Laurel said. "I don't..."

"Cobalt's in the Speed Force," Cisco said.

"That makes sense," Barry said from the doorway.

"The Stone's not here," Hartley said. "Nor are their suits."

"Wally," Iris whispered.

"Here," Lily said. "G.P.S. says they're at the Kob Factory."

Barry vanished in a streak of lightning.

Cisco pulled up the C.C.T.V. A wormhole was open, and Wally was-

"No," Joe said. Wally vanished and a tall figure with sharp metal armour and blue lightning clinging to them was standing in his place. A buzzing noise came over the speakers, and they couldn't do anything but watch the explosion of yellow and blue lightning.

And then Barry was in the medical bed and Jesse was standing there.

Henry was first at his side.

"It's all right, Slugger," he said. "Deep breaths."

"Cobalt stabbed his shoulder," Jesse said. "He was screaming."

"Wally," Barry gasped.

"What happened?" Linda asked.

"Wally saw his mother," Jesse said. "But we both knew it was Cobalt again, and Wally grabbed the Stone then ran. He said he wasn't going to let Cobalt hurt Iris. But when he threw the Stone Cobalt appeared, and Wally got sucked in."

"But we can get him back," Iris said. "We can."

"We will," Joe said. "There's a way to get him."

"I'll go," Barry said.

"You need to stay still," Henry said. "Cobalt's blade is still in your shoulder, and I think it hit your clavicle. We need some of your painkillers, Lily."

"I have to get Wally," Barry said.

"Last time you went into the Speed Force, you got lost," Eddie said.

"Can't you make something?" Laurel asked.

"Yes," Cisco said. "I think so. Give me fifteen minutes."

"I'll go with you," Linda said. Everyone looked at her. "Barry might need help finding Wally. I'll go with him."

"Okay," Cisco said. "But two is all I can vibe. Caitlin, Julian, I need you."

"But Barry-"

"I've got him, Caitlin," Henry said.

Caitlin nodded and followed Cisco out the Cortex.

"Caitlin, wait," Iris said. Caitlin turned around to face her. "I'm sorry."

"So am I."

"When Wally's back, I think we need to talk."

"Yeah."


	10. Barry and Linda's Trip

"So, this thing anchors us to this universe?" Linda asked.

"Fingers crossed," Cisco said.

"Fingers crossed?"

"And it will meausre your vitals," Caitlin said. Linda still didn't look sure.

"You don't have to come," Barry said. "I can find Wally."

"And you might need help," Linda said.

"Right," Cisco said. "Linda, you've got Plan B, and I have no idea where in the Speed Force I'm breaching you, so it might take a while."

"Jesse and I will take care of Central," Hartley said. Barry nodded.

"We'll find Wally, Joe," Barry said. He held out his hand for Linda to take, then Cisco put his hands on their shoulders.

"Good luck," Lily said.

* * *

They were standing by the waterfront, where Barry had time travelled for the first time. The sun was setting, and the Speed Force seemed duller than it had before.

He couldn't see Wally.

"Did it work?" Linda asked.

"Hello, Barry."

He turned around, still holding Linda's hand. Bette Sans Souci was standing there.

"Hello, Linda Park," Bette said.

"Hi," Linda said. "Who..."

"Plastique," Barry said. "Bette was the first other metahuman we met who didn't want to use her powers for crime. She just wanted them gone, but we couldn't help her. We tried, but- Bette went after General Eiling, she blamed him for what happened to her. And he killed her. Right here. I wasn't fast enough to save her, and she died in my arms."

"Bette didn't go after Eiling for revenge, Barry," the Speed Force said. "Do you remember her last words?"

"Doctor," Barry said. He sighed. "It was Thawne. He told her what Eiling did to Ronnie and Martin, didn't he? She was trying to protect us from Eiling. I'm so sorry, Bette."

"She sacrificed herself for you," the Speed Force said.

"If this is the way to get Wally back, I have to do it."

"Barry," Linda said. A black figure was across the water from them. "Is that-"

"Black Flash." Barry picked Linda up. "Hold on."

* * *

Barry didn't stop running until they reached S.T.A.R. Labs. he hadn't known he'd been running this way; the Speed Force must have wanted him to.

They weren't alone.

"Blackout," Linda said.

Farooq Gibran looked juts like he had the night he'd come to S.T.A.R. Labs. Tired, determined, and young.

So young.

"Farooq," Barry said. "Why these faces?"

"Because you blame yourself for their deaths," the Speed Force said.

"Last time I was here you looked like Joe, Iris, Dad, and Mom," Barry said. "You wanted to help me."

"We gave you these gifts. And yet you still crave more."

"I don't. I am grateful for what I have."

"Then why so much guilt over those you could not save?"

"Because Bette and Farooq just needed help, and I failed them. If I'm what you say I am, if I'm the Flash, a hero, why couldn't I help them?"

"So much guilt," the Speed Force said. "Is that why you chose this path?"

"Iris is my best friend. Wally's my brother. I can't lose them. If this is the only way to save Wally, then why not?"

"What are you talking about?" Linda asked.

"I'll explain later, we have to-"

Black Flash was there again. Heading straight for Linda. Barry didn't have time.

Black Flash was on top of him, and Barry couldn't breathe. He could feel all the energy pouring out of him, the air was getting thicker, and mustier-

An expolsion of light pushed Black Flash off him, and Linda lowered her hands. She had the gloves she'd used to pretend to be Doctor Light on.

Barry picked her up and ran before Black Flash could get back up.

* * *

There was a spot just outside Central, up in the hills, where you could look down and see the whole city. Once upon a time, Barry's parents had brought him up here at weekends, to play and walk and be outdoors. His parents had met at C.C.U., they'd both decided to stay in Central, they both loved Central, but his dad had grown up in a small town, and his ma was a farm girl at heart. Up here was quiet, and green.

Sometimes, back when Barry was young and still so angry at the world that had taken his parents from him, he'd come up here to be alone. To think. He'd cycle from school and eventually Joe would arrive and sit with him until Barry was ready to leave.

There was no sign of the Speed Force, or Black Flash.

And Barry's anchor was gone.

"I guess that's what Cisco meant by Plan B," Barry said. Linda put the gloves in her pockets. "Thanks."

"Any time," Linda said. "What were you talking about?"

"Where's your anchor?" Barry asked.

"I took it off so I could help you before they tried pulling me out the Speed Force, it's in my pocket. Explain."

"Cobalt couldn't get out until he had the Stone and Wally took his place."

"You're planning on taking Wally's place."

"If that's the only way to save him. I can't leave him here. Could you?"

"No. He's Wally."

"Why did you come?"

"It's Wally. He's sweet. A little reckless, but that seems to be a West thing. And he means well. He was just trying to help."

"He said the two of you were together in the other timeline."

"Did you think about Iris differently when you found out?"

"No. But I'd already gotten over that, when you move in with your best friend you have a crush on you either fall head over heels in love or you move on to not make things awkward, and I guess I moved on. She's Iris, she's my best friend, she is a huge part of my life and I can't imagine her not in it, but not romantically. You have been thinking differently."

"When I met Wally, he was Iris' kid brother. But he's an adult, and now he's Wally. He's still Iris' brother, but he's his own person in my head, if that makes sense."

"I guess. Like how I only really know Dante in the context of him being Cisco's brother, and how at first I only knew Sara as Laurel's sister, but now we're friends and I know her as Sara."

"Exactly. And it's like that block on having Wally related feelings because he's Iris' brother went."

"You have feelings for Wally?"

"I don't know. Not yet. Maybe. I do know Wally is my friend, and you are my friend, and you both need help. I can help. So, I'm here. Clearly the Speed Force doesn't want you to find Wally. But it's a prison, right? And we're in Central. Where in Central would Wally feel trapped?"

"The hospital," Barry said. He picked Linda up again and ran.

* * *

None of the lights in Central General were on. There weren't any nurses or doctors or patients in the halls. It was empty and eeire.

A beam of ice skimmed Barry's arm.

"You shouldn't be here, Scarlet."

"Captain Cold?" Linda asked. "Why him?"

"He died the hero Barry enouraged him to become," the Speed Force said. "You blame yourself."

"I blame myself for a lot of things," Barry said. "You gave me this power, these responsibilities, are you surprised I carry the safety of everyone in Central on my shoulders? Sometimes I'm too late and you gave me the ability to change the past, knowing I can't use it."

"You've used it before," the Speed Force said.

"Yes. And look at what it did. Wally's right, time travel is dangerous, we can't just rewrite our mistakes. He'll be so much better than me, why aren't you letting me do this?"

"You're the Flash, Barry."

"Why can't Wally be the Flash?"

"We chose you."

"Maybe you chose wrong."

"If you want Wally, you will have to fight us."

"Fine. Linda, can you find him?"

Linda nodded, and ran down the corridor as Barry ran at Snart. The beam from the Cold Gun hit his chest.

He tried again, and again, and again, but he couldn't beat the Speed Force. He knew that.

If Linda found Wally, he wouldn't have to.

"Barry!" Linda shouted. She was tugging on a door that wouldn't budge. Wally.

Barry couldn't move. Ice encased his legs. Snart was walking over, aiming the Cold Gun-

He flew back and Jay was standing there. He wasn't alone either. A very familiar woman in a light blue and white suit with a blue mask was with him.

"Jay?" Barry asked. He vibrated his legs free.

"It's me, kid," Jay said. "And I brought an old friend."

"Max Mercury," the doppelganger of Francine West said, with a hand outstretched. Barry took it and Max pulled him up.

"Barry Allen," he said. "You're from Earth-3 too?"

"Earth-4," Max said. "You aren't the first speedster to discover the multiverse."

"What are you doing here?"

"Cisco came to find me when they lost track of you," Jay said. "Then we followed you here. It's called Speed Force Empathy. We can feel each other. Not all the time, it's not something Max and I use often, and they're slightly better than me which I why I brought them too, but there was enough for us to find you."

"Barry," Linda said. "Barry, I can't open the door."

Barry ran over. Snart seemed to have disappeared, but that didn't matter right now. Wally need him.

He shoved against the door with Linda and burst into the room.

Wally was by the bed, tears rolling down his cheeks. Barry knew exactly what he was seeing.

"Wally?" Barry asked. He reached out and rested a hand on Wally's shoulder. "It's okay, Wally. It's time to go now."

"She..."

"We know," Linda said. She managed to turn Wally away from the bed. "We know it hurts. But Joe and Iris are waiting for you."

"Linda?"

"Come back to us, Wally."

Wally nodded and let Linda take his hand. He looked up.

"Jay? Mom?"

"I'm sorry, Wally," Max said. "I'm not her. We have to leave. Jay?"

"It's okay," Jay said. "Just get them home."

"Jay, what are you doing?" Barry asked.

"What you were planning on doing," Linda said.

"No, that's not fair, Zoom had you for so long, and-"

"And you saved me," Jay said. "I've been doing this a long time, kid. You've got your whole life ahead of you, and Iris needs you both right now. Change the future. And live your lives."

Barry nodded.

"I'm going to find a way to get you out of here," Barry said.

"I believe you."

The door closed between them and Jay. Barry closed his hand around Wally's. Linda was still holding Wally's other hand.

"Time to go," Max said.

* * *

Everyone was waiting in the Cortex. Jesse ran over to hug them.

Joe and Iris were just staring at Max.

Joe seemed to blink and focus first. He rushed over to hug Wally. Iris wasn't far behind.

"Where's Jay?" Hartley asked.

"He stayed behind," Barry said. "Cisco-"

"Already working on it," Cisco said. "Hi, um..."

"Max," Max said.

"Not Francine?" Wally asked. "Mom's maiden name was Russell?"

"The multiverse doesn't match up exactly," Max said. "Sometimes doppelagangers have different names. Like I assume yours isn't Jay Garrick and yours isn't Hartley Rathaway."

"It is, actually," Hartley said. "Lovely to meet you. This is Caitlin Snow, Lily Stein, Laurel Lance, Julian Albert, Jesse Wells, Cisco Ramon, Eddie Thawne, Henry Allen, and Iris and Joe West. I assume Barry, Linda, and Wally introduced themselves."

"Sort of," Barry said. "Maybe that's why I couldn't find anyone's doppelgangers on Earth-38, we have different names there?"

"Or we don't have doppelgangers there," Jesse said. "I don't exisit on Earth-1, and you don't exist on Earth-3."

"And I'm guessing Iris and I don't exist on Earth-4," Wally said. Max smiled softly at him.

"I'm sorry, Wally. Neither of you look like my Helen. I should go. Earth-3 will need looking after as well, with Jay gone."

"I can help," Jesse said.

"You just got here," Lily said.

"I know. But I can look after Earth-3 for Jay. Earth-2 might not want me, but I can help them."

Max nodded. "I'm sure you can find me if you need me."

"Speed Force Empathy," Barry said. "Thank you."

* * *

A few laps around the Speed Lab before going home would help Barry think.

Wally caught up with him.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Always," Barry said. They both sat against the wall. "It's about Max."

"I know they're not my mother. But when I saw them... I just wanted to know how you got your head around Jay."

"It was weird at first. But then it became more like Jay's Dad's long-lost twin. But it was different, my dad was critical at the time, but he's fine now."

"No, long-lost twin works," Wally said. "Max is her long-lost twin. Iris is staying with Dad tonight."

"Caitlin feels guilty about the Stone, and Iris regrets not telling her what I saw earlier. They'll work it out, they just need to talk to each other. We'll work everything out. Somehow."

"Jay said we can change the future."

"And we will."

He also told Barry to live his life.

"There's something I have to talk to Eddie about," Barry said. "Are you okay now?"

"I will be," Wally said. "I'm going to go find Linda, say thank you."

Wally disappeared again. Barry stepped outside the Speed Lab.

Eddie was already there, with his jacket on, and a key in his hand. He smiled.

"I was just about to come looking for you," Eddie said. "It's late, I was going to say goodbye."

"What if we didn't?" Barry said. "I mean, what you asked me the other day. Yes, I'd love to."

"You mean me giving you a key?"

"I mean you giving me a key then talking about moving in. Yes, I'd love to."

"You mean that?"

"I should probably talk to Dad. But you're right, I've got half my stuff there, and I love you. I would love to live with you."

"I love you." Eddie kissed him. "I love you."


	11. Song and Dance

Iris should have told Caitlin sooner. She should. But Caitlin should have told her about the Philosopher's Stone. Iris had been trying to help her with her powers since the beginning, and she'd gone behind Iris' back. She was angry.

At least, Iris was trying to convince herself she was angry. Mostly she was upset Caitlin wasn't at her side. She needed her.

She only had a little while left, and she'd screwed up by not telling Caitlin. Her dad was dealing with it- sort of- he was angrier with Cobalt than with her, but Iris knew she'd made a mistake not telling him either.

Everyone was upset, but it was her that was going to die, her that had to deal with that. She wanted at least part of it to be on her own terms. She wanted to leave an impact behind that proved she'd lived, and she wanted something to be on her own terms.

Cobalt was free. It seemed like whatever they did just pushed them closer and closer to the future.

Throwing herself into writing and trying to ignore them probably wasn't the healthiest way to deal with her emotions, but Iris didn't want to deal with them right now. There was so much, and so little time, and nothing she could do.

* * *

They were working on it. Everyone was working on it. So, they really shouldn't have been surprised when Iris started avoiding S.T.A.R. Labs. Reminders she only had a little while left and that she might have screwed things up with the woman she loved in the same room? She had enough to deal with. She could just focus on her work. She could save people too.

If Linda was keeping a closer eye on her at Picture News, neither of them mentioned it.

Barry was moving in with Eddie. He was happy. Iris should be happy for him. She was happy for him. He was her best friend, she was happy for him. But there was this twinge of jealousy that he got to be happy with Eddie and think about starting a life together while she didn't. Which was probably why Barry hadn't asked her to help him move in, like he would have any other time, and why Barry and Eddie had tried to keep it as low-key as possible. And then Iris felt guilty that she was jealous when she should just be happy for them, and then...

Suddenly Oliver Queen's brooding nature and refusal to talk about his emotions made so much sense.

* * *

Apparently, news of her imminent demise had even made it to Star City, because Felicity tried calling. Iris didn't answer.

It wasn't fair. Cobalt was planning on using her to upset her family, like she was just some object. Her life didn't even matter to him. It seemed to make it even worse.

Her dad had Cecile now, and Wally and Barry. He'd be fine. They'd all be fine.

Except her.

* * *

Iris was still working when Linda perched on the edge of her desk. She looked up to find everyone else gone, and the outside gone.

"I know you're still working on this story," Linda said. "But if you want to go and get a drink."

"Maybe another day," Iris said.

"I think you need a break."

"I don't have time."

"Yes, you do. I know you want to get this done, but you also need to have some fun. A few breaks. Enjoy yourself."

"How?"

"I don't know. I really don't. I know you and Caitlin have been avoiding each other, but maybe talking to her will help."

"It's usually a good idea."

Iris and Linda turned around at the unfamiliar voice. A man with curly hair was sitting on Julie's desk. He waved.

"Who are you?" Linda asked.

"You can call me the Music Meister," he said. "I just came to talk to Iris."

His eyes seemed to shift.

Iris passed out.

* * *

Iris was sitting at a table.

The room was well furnished, if a little dark, with people sitting, talking, drinking, a few smoking, and a woman on the stage singing "Moon River". Iris frowned. She hadn't met Supergirl, but she'd heard a lot, and seen some pictures from the Dominator invasion. She knew enough to have a fairly good idea what she looked like.

Iris was pretty sure Barry would have mentioned the singing.

Her table was in the corner, slightly hidden in the shadows. A glass of champagne was sat on it, and Iris noticed long, black gloves up to her elbows. Her dress was crimson, silk, and slender. Somehow it didn't seem to fit in with her not being noticed.

The song ended and Supergirl rushed over to take the empty seat next to her.

"Please tell me you're Barry's friend Iris."

"Oh, thank goodness," Iris said. "You must be Supergirl."

"I'm Kara," she said. "Do you know where we are?"

"I was hoping you would. One minute I was in Picture News, then a weird guy showed up, next thing I know I'm here. How did you get here?"

"Same as you, I was in the D.E.O. with my sister, a few of the agents were taking an alien prisoner downstairs but he looked at me and then I was on the stage singing."

"You're a really good singer."

"Thanks."

A few of the other customers moved slightly and Barry- dressed in an evening suit with a bow-tie- rushed over.

"I- Iris, C- Cutter Moran's heading the- the- this way."

"Who?" Iris asked.

"Barry, are you okay?" Kara asked.

"Who- Who-"

Barry nearly jumped a mile as a woman walked towards them, but he just about managed to get Iris under the table before she stopped in front of Kara.

"Aunt Astra?" Kara asked. She yelped. "Not Aunt Astra, my mistake."

"It's a good thing I pay you for your pipes, not your brain, Blondie," not Aunt Astra said. "Who's the string bean?"

"Ba- Ba- Barrence, ma'am," Barry stuttered.

"You're Doc Garrick's boy."

"Oh, well, well, I- I- Yes, ma'am."

"Tell West to stay on his side of town."

"Yes, ma'am."

Barry's feet disappeared very quickly.

"I hope you've got more in your repertoire than that, Blondie," not Aunt Astra said. "I want something new by tomorrow night. Grady!"

A new set of feet appeared.

"Something original, Blondie."

Her feet disappeared and Kara helped Iris out from under the table. She brushed her dress down and looked around. The speak-easy- it was probably a speak-easy- was nearly empty now.

Grady stepped back.

"Miss West," he said. "You better not let Cutter Moran see you around here."

"Winn, it's fine," Kara said.

"What's a Winn? Name's Grady, Miss West, I just tickle the keys 'round here."

"Grady," Kara said. "Iris is my friend."

"You really do need to keep that to yourself." Cisco leant over the bar. "Moran's been itching to pick a fight with West for weeks, even more than usual."

"Stay out of it, Pablo," Grady said.

"Gentlemen, excuse us a moment," Iris said. She stepped slight aside and Kara followed. "They have no idea who we are, do they?"

"No. It's like it's them, but it's not them. Do you mind that I called you my friend? I know we only just met, but Barry told me a lot about you, and you seem really nice, and it seemed like the easiest description."

"We're trapped in some kind of alternate dimension or something, I'd much rather be trapped with a friend. You don't know anything that could have caused this?"

"If it was just one of us, maybe, but I don't know anything that could cause a shared dream or hallucination or whatever this is." Kara jumped. "And I don't have my powers."

"I don't think it's another Earth," Iris said. "That wouldn't affect your powers, would it?"

"Only if it had a red sun, and I don't think it does. It's more like we're in a-"

"Musical?"

The guy- Music Meister- was perched on Cisco's bar now, still smiling. Iris tried to punch him, but her fist went straight through him.

"Sorry, can't do that. I'm not really here."

"Send us home," she demanded.

"Don't blame me, your minds constructed this. Kara, all those years watching Wizard of Oz, trying to find your place in a new world, and Iris-"

"Barry's the one who loves musicals."

"I'm the _Music_ Meister."

"So, you're the one who made it a musical."

"Kara made it a musical, you must be the one who brought the mystery."

"Get us out."

"It doesn't work like that. The only way to get out is to follow the script to the end."

"Do you have a script?"

"No."

"Then how are we supposed to follow the script?"

"You'll feel it in your hearts."

Grady was now sat at the piano, and a few notes played.

"Please don't," Iris said.

* * *

Music Meister had vanished after he'd finished his performance of "Put a Little Love in Your Heart". Kara and Iris had run outside after him, but there was no sign.

"Should we talk about the big dance routine?" Kara asked.

"I'd rather not," Iris said. "I can't believe my life is so weird getting trapped in a musical with an alien superhero from a parallel Earth is just another Tuesday."

"It is pretty weird," Kara said. "I have the song stuck in my head now."

"Me too. Do you know what we're supposed to do now?"

"I suppose we should find a script."

A masked man aimed a pistol at Kara's back.

"And try not to die," Kara said. "I miss being bullet proof."

She raised her hands and a car pulled up.

"Miss West," almost certainly not Jax said. "Your fathers are waiting for you."

"What do you want me to do with this one?" Ronnie asked from under the mask

"She's a friend," Iris said. "She's helping me with something, I trust her."

"Bring her too, Rockwell," not Jax said. Ronnie- Rockwell, rather- nodded for Kara to get into the car.

This seemed bad.

It seemed worse when Iris climbed into the car only to walk into a warehouse, with Kara next to her.

"Scene change," Kara said. "That's helpful."

"A little disorientating though," Iris said. "It's like when Barry gives lifts."

"Oh, I can imagine, he's really fast. I'm fast, but even I couldn't keep up with what he and Wally were saying completely."

"They do that sometimes."

"What do you think we're doing here?"

"Jax said my fathers wanted to see me," Iris said. "I'm not sure why he used the plural form, but I'm hoping it means Dad is here, and we might get some clues as to what we do next."

"Iris."

"Dad!" Iris hugged him. He was in a suit too, and a hat, and Iris had a feeling he wasn't quite her dad. Martin was standing slightly behind him, similarly dressed, and Lily was there too in her own dark green evening dress.

"Who's the girl?" not dad asked.

"This is my friend, Kara," Iris said.

"She works for Moran, Dad," Lily said.

"That true?" not dad asked Kara.

"Yes, sir," Kara said.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Iris' father?"

"Name's Digsy West, I run this town."

"Iris, you know better than to go digging around Moran's," not Martin said. "We already have people looking for Mark."

"Mark?" Kara asked.

"Our oldest," Digsy said. "Last place he was seen was Moran's club."

"Oh, that Mark, yes, Iris asked if I could keep an eye out for him."

"That's exactly why Kara and I met," Iris said. "She's been spying on Moran looking for Mark."

"Moran's crossed a line this time," Digsy said. "If we don't have Mark back by the end of the day, Central's going to be painted red."

"That is terrifying," Kara said. "I might know someone who can help, but I don't know if I can convince them without Iris."

"I'll be back by this evening, Dad," Iris said.

"Give her a chance, Digsy," not Martin said.

"If you're sure, Al," Digsy said. "Back by this evening, Iris."

"Will be, Dad, love you."

Iris took Kara's hand and pulled her outside.

* * *

They seemed to be standing outside a run-down apartment building. The sun was up, and no one seemed to be paying attention to them. Iris didn't remember how they got here.

Music Meister probably should have added a costume change to the scene changes though.

"Do you know where we are now?" Iris asked.

"No," Kara said. "I just thought Barry might be able to help us find Wally. Is it Wally we're looking for?"

"I don't think so. He said oldest, and Wally's my little brother. And Lily doesn't have any siblings, assuming I read that scene right and Digsy and Al are together. If we hadn't already met Barry, I'd assume they meant him."

"Maybe they did and that's why we're here?" Kara asked. "He would have given Moran a fake name if he was Digsy's son, right?"

"That's true, but he pushed me under the table, so I assume she knows us well enough to recognise us."

"Good point, and she did call him Doc Garrick's boy. Barry said you're a really good investigative reporter, if I had to get stuck in a musical with someone, I'm glad it's you."

"Aww, thanks. It seems like a simple enough story; we just have to find Mark and then we get to go home. And you somehow have to come up with a song."

"Right. I've never written music before; do you know anything?"

"No. Dad and Wally can sing, and Barry, but I don't. Hartley probably would have been the most helpful for you to get stuck with if it involves writing music."

"It always seems to just happen in musicals, so maybe it'll be easy when we get to that scene."

"I hope so."

Barry skittered towards them, with Cisco. Barrence and Pablo, Iris had to remember that.

"I f- found him," Barrence stuttered. "Mis- Mister Ramone kn- knows where M- Mark is."

"Try taking a deep breath," Kara said.

"I- I- I'm sorry. It's just I- I'm v-v- very- very nervous."

"That's why you need to take a deep breath," Iris said. "You helped, Bare. You did good."

"Mister West and Ms Moran won't find out I knew, will they?" Pablo asked.

"No," Iris said. "They won't. But maybe you two should think about moving."

"I c-can't leave Dad," Barrence said.

"And I can't afford it," Pablo said. "But one day I'll get up on that stage, and then I'll never look back. It's 4A."

Pablo and Barrence left, singing. Kara and Iris met each other's eyes.

"I'm pretty sure there are more appropriate songs than Queen," Kara said.

"Probably," Iris said. "It's a good song though. Shall we?"

"After you."

Kara held the door open and they both walked up to 4A.

No one answered.

Kara tried knocking again, and a shriek came from inside. That sounded like Caitlin.

Iris shoved against the door, breaking it in. Caitlin was there, giggling with a tall man.

"James?" Kara asked.

"Iris!" probably not Kara's friend James said. "What are you doing here?"

"Mark," Iris said. He didn't look confused, so that was probably the right guess. "What are you doing here? Our fathers have been worried sick about you."

"I'm not going back," Mark said. He kept holding onto Caitlin's hand and Iris tried to ignore the jealous feeling pooling in her stomach. "I love Lousie Moran, and I'm not letting our parents get between us."

"Oh great," Kara said. "It's Romeo and Juliet, and we all know how that one ended."

"Maybe not," Iris said. She turned away from Louise and Mark. "Maybe the script is we get them to talk to their parents, and stop this war?"

"A happy ending? That would be nice. How do we convince them though?"

"I have an idea. It might take a while."

Iris turned back around.

"Mark, Louise, your parents love you, if you tell them you love each other, I'm sure they'll listen."

"You make a convincing point," Louise said.

"We should go now," Mark said. He and Louise both rushed out the door.

"I guess it didn't take that long," Iris said. "I take it that's the James Barry mentioned."

"Yeah," Kara sighed.

"He said you were in love with him."

"I was," Kara said. "I am. But I can't work out how to balance Supergirl and Kara Danvers as it is, dating James on top of that just didn't work."

"He knows you're Kara, and Supergirl," Iris said. "He knows sometimes you might have to cut a date short. But you can work it out."

"It got complicated. This guy, Mon-El, showed up, he was the prince of Daxam, I'm trying to teach him to be less of a dick, but it's a slow progress, and James has started going out as Guardian, and everything's just complicated."

"Things get complicated. Maybe you should just start by talking."

"I guess you've been with Caitlin long enough to know what you're talking about."

"That's complicated too right now. She didn't tell me she was using something we got off Alchemy to try and get rid of her powers, and I didn't tell her Barry ran to the future and saw me die in just over a month."

"Oh, Rao, Iris. How..."

"There's an evil speedster called Cobalt who stabs me to make Barry upset. Everyone's trying to find a way to change the future, but..."

"I am so sorry. Want me to find him and punch him in the face?"

Iris laughed. "That might help, actually, thanks, Kara."

"You should probably talk to Caitlin. I think I can understand why you both have trouble talking about those things, but you love her, you should talk to her. And she loves you, so she'll want to be with you even if it'll hurt knowing she can't be with you for longer. And if you ever want someone to talk to, or another Earth to spend a bit of time on and avoid evil speedsters, my door is always open."

"Thank you. We should probably find the end of the script."

"I'll go with Louise, you go with Mark?"

"See you in a few minutes, hopefully."

* * *

After a rendition of "More I Cannot Wish for You", Iris was almost convinced Digsy and Al were slightly more convinced of Mark and Louise being together. She just hoped Kara was having as much luck with Louise and Cutter Moran.

And then she notice people starting to gather and arm themselves.

Apparently, that was not the end of the musical.

She managed to sneak out unseen and sprinted for Moran's club. Kara would be there.

Two figures were hidden in the shadows. Iris frowned and stepped back.

Eddie and Hartley stepped out, both in suits with fedoras.

"Iris West," Eddie drawled.

"And you are?"

"Name's Drake, Detective Jacob Drake. This here's my partner, Charlie Malone." Drake gestured with his thumb, and Hartley nodded. "Got a proposition for you."

"I really don't have the time."

"Word on the street is Estelle Moran and Ira West are gearing up for war, and your brother's caught in the middle."

"Your point is?"

"This town's built on corruption and death. Malone here and I aim to do a little something about that. How about a little tit for tat? You help us out, we can help you out. Make sure that brother of yours gets out of town with his lady friend before it starts."

"You're too late, Detectives," Iris said. "It's already started. They're on their way to Moran's club."

"Gather up the boys, Drake," Malone said. "We've got somewhere to be."

Iris started running again.

* * *

These scene changes really came in useful when Iris rushed into the rehersal room of Moran's club. Kara was singing about their day, but she stopped when she saw Iris.

"It's not the end, is it?" she asked.

"It didn't work," Iris said. "They're still going to fight, and I just ran into Eddie and Hartley, except they're detectives, so it's going to be even messier."

"Oh no. Maybe I'm supposed to sing about peace?"

"Maybe?" Gunfire came from outside. "I don't think you have time to make up a song. We have to stop them."

"I still don't have powers."

"I've never had powers. We have to try."

Kara nodded, and the two of them ran outside.

"Stop!" Iris shouted. "Stop, can't you see what you're doing?"

"This is why neither of your children talked to you," Kara said. "If you do this, you'll lose them forever."

Iris didn't see who fired. All she knew was that one second she was about to try convincing the two sides, the next she was on the floor, pain burning in her stomach.

Kara was lying next to her, and blood was starting to pool on the pavement.

"I really, really miss being bulletproof," Kara coughed.

"Iris!" Digsy shouted. "Iris!"

Sirens were approaching.

"Mother, you have to run," Louise said. "The cops are on their way, please."

"Dad," Mark said.

"My baby girl. Not my baby girl."

That was her dad. That sounded so much like her dad, Iris needed him-

The streets were empty. Iris wasn't sure if they'd skipped everyone leaving, or if the pain was just so much she hadn't noticed.

"We should- We should give Music Meister a review," Kara said. Iris could hear the strain in her voice. "This is a terrible ending."

"One star at most," Iris said. "He didn't even come up with his own songs."

"Iris!"

Louise was back. Mark seemed to be with Kara, and Louise knelt by Iris' side. She pressed her hands to Iris' stomach.

"I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do-"

"Caitlin?"

"I can't lose you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I'm sorry I've been acting so off, I can't lose you, I didn't want to face the idea of losing you. I love you."

"I love you," Iris said. She was so tired. "Sorry."

"No, please. Please. It's not supposed to be like this. We're going to grow old together, get married, have children, maybe even grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

"I want that life."

"We're going to have that life. We are. And no speedster, or extradimensional _arsehole_ is going to take that away from us!"

Music Meister clearly wasn't listening to Caitlin. He didn't appear.

Her eyes were so heavy.

"Caitlin," Iris said. "Love you."

Caitlin's lips met hers.

* * *

S.T.A.R. Labs was brilliantly white, and Cisco's hand was on Iris's shoulder.

Caitlin's lips were on Iris' again. She wasn't sure if it was the same kiss or another one, but either way, Iris wasn't complaining.

"Oh, baby girl," Iris' real dad said. He hugged her tight. "You're okay."

"I'm fine, Dad," Iris said. "Kara-"

"I'm fine too," Kara said. She was sitting in a bed next to Iris, with James next to her. "Thanks, Cisco."

"Do you think one of you can stand?" Cisco asked. "Because I think I might need to borrow a bed."

"Come here," Eddie said. He put his hand on Cisco's shoulder.

"We're so glad you're both okay," Lily said.

"And what a show!"

Iris groaned. Music Meister was in the doorway.

"How did you get out of the forcefield?" Wally asked. "Stay away from my sister!"

"Oh, my work here is done, Wally. Unless you want a lesson?"

"That was supposed to be a lesson?" Iris asked.

"About love. I did say at the start, didn't I?"

"I think you need a lesson in good endings," Kara said.

"You both got home, thanks to true love's kiss," Music Meister said. "Do you want more?"

"Yes, I want to have not been shot and not have 'Put a Little Love' still stuck in my head."

"You two got stuck in a musical without me?" Barry asked. "Aww."

"You would have hated it," Iris said. "We both got shot, and your name was Barrence."

"It nearly was," Henry said.

"Dad, please," Barry said.

"Hey," Wally said. "You can't just leave."

"You couldn't stop me, Kid Flash," Music Meister said. He vanished.

"I do not like him," Kara said.

* * *

Apparently, after Music Meister had whammied Kara he'd opened a breach, so James, J'onn, and Alex had followed him to S.T.A.R. Labs. Linda had called Wally at the same time, saying Iris wasn't waking up. they'd ended up trying to catch Music Meister who was robbing banks using Kara's powers, chasing him across Central, and hadn't got anywhere until Cisco vibed James and Caitlin to them.

Kara made sure to introduce Iris properly before she went back to Earth-38. She'd added quietly that she really had meant it when she said Iris could stay if she needed to get away from the whole Cobalt situation.

Ending up trapped in a musical was definitely a good friendship bonding experience. If a bit odd.

She should probably call Felicity back.

Iris was fairly sure Linda had something to do with everyone leaving the Cortex to give Caitlin and her some space. It seemed like the sort of thing Linda would do.

Caitlin sat next to her. The meta cuffs were off.

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you," she said. "I should have."

"So should I," Iris said. "But you need to know I'm not afraid of your powers, honey. You'll learn to control them; I know you will."

"I used them earlier. With Music Meister. And... And everyone's right, cold is a speedster's weakness. there might be a way I can use them to help stop Cobalt."

"And if you can't stop Cobalt, I want to spend what I have left enjoying my life with you. I know- I know no one else wants to think it, I don't want to think it, and I do believe in you all and trust you and love you, but still."

"I know. We could go out to dinner tonight."

"I'd love to."


	12. Flash Forward

Charmer seemed nice. Maybe a bit blunt, and she didn’t seem to want to be friends with any of them (probably because of the interdimensional travel being illegal thing), but she seemed nice. And she already liked Cisco and Lily.

Abra Kadabra had not been nice, and Barry was glad Charmer was there to help them out. Hopefully she could help when they apparently met a younger him in the future as well, time travelling villains were the worst kind.

Though it had given Barry an idea.

He hadn’t mentioned it at first. Caitlin had been hurt and had to rely on her powers to heal her, and she’d probably need some space. And he knew time travel hadn’t always worked out for them.

But he did know they stopped Cobalt in the future. And if there weren’t any answers now, that was where he had to look. And there was one year he knew they had to have stopped Cobalt by.

He did have to talk to everyone before he tried though. Jay told him travelling to the future was harder, so Barry wasn’t even sure he’d be able to get where he was aiming.

But he had to try.

* * *

“Let me get this straight,” Laurel said.

“We’re very bad at that,” Cisco said. Laurel closed her eyes in expiration, and Hartley’s head hit the table in front of him. “Sorry.”

“You want to run to the future,” Laurel said.

“Yes,” Barry said.

He’d run into S.T.A.R. Labs after work and found Iris, Linda, and Laurel already there with Cisco, Hartley, Lily, and Caitlin. Wally hadn’t been far behind, and Eddie had driven over with Julian. It seemed like the perfect time to suggest he try time travel. Maybe he could wait for Joe, but he had a date with Cecile, and his dad was working on getting his medical license back. Hartley had suggested a few clinics that could use a hand. They’d probably be fine with just a tiny bit of time travel.

Probably.

“And you think it will help?” Laurel asked.

“It probably will,” Lily said. “So far, our ideas are based on changing time, so we don’t get to that point, but what we really need to know is how stop Cobalt. If Barry’s future self trapped him in the Speed Force, he knows how.”

“And if we can find him and trap him within the next few weeks, we win,” Barry said.

“It’s really weird he hasn’t shown up again yet, isn’t it?” Wally asked.

“He’s probably working on his evil plan,” Cisco said. “Yeah, okay, it’s the best we’ve got.”

“Iris?” Barry asked. “Eddie?”

“If you think it will help,” Iris said. Her hand was in Caitlin’s again. That was good.

“Just be careful,” Eddie said.

“I will be,” Barry said.

“When are you running too?” Linda asked.

“2024. I think I’ll aim for February.”

* * *

Mirror Master and Top had gotten better at using their powers over the past seven years. Barry had ended up lying on the floor when Hartley appeared and saved him. Thank goodness for Hartley Rathaway.

Cisco was waiting for them in the Cortex, with his hair up in a messy bun. He looked tired.

So did Hartley.

“Haven’t seen you in that for a while,” Hartley said. Cisco rushed over to hug Barry. He frowned.

“That suit was destroyed by DeVoe,” he said. He stepped back and studied Barry’s face. “I should not have said that.”

“Abra Kadabra mentioned him,” Barry said. “You’re good.”

“Not long left then.”

“Ah,” Hartley said. “Time travel. That would explain some things.”

“We’re stuck,” Barry said. “Cobalt hasn’t done anything since he got out the Speed Force, and we don’t know where he is, or how we stop him. But you did. Right?”

“He’ll be in his lab,” Cisco said.

“He’s always in his lab,” Hartley said. “Doesn’t mean he’ll talk to either of us.”

“This Barry can change the future.”

“We tried. We tried everything.”

“We never tried this.”

Cisco smiled at Barry. He picked up an extrapolator.

“You should probably keep the suit on.”

* * *

The main crime lab looked different. Busier, with newer equipment and sleeker computers. Cisco had breached them directly into the office.

The door opened.

“-Captain Heart gets those files by tomorrow,” Barry’s older self said. “Good work, Stacey.”

Future Barry shut the door then turned around. Cisco waved.

He sighed.

“You couldn’t have called?”

“So you could send it straight to voicemail?” Cisco said. “This seemed like an easier way to get your attention.”

“I’m busy,” Future Barry snapped. “I have a crime lab to run, I don’t have time for you playing dress up.”

“Actually,” Barry said. He pulled down his cowl. “I just need to ask you a few questions.”

“He’s from before,” Hartley said. “He wants to know how to stop him.”

“That’s easy,” Future Barry said. “You don’t. It’s impossible. You want to know the truth, Flash? You’re a fraud. Fastest Man Alive they call you, but it can never be fast enough. Whatever you do, you’ll always be too slow. That symbol you wear on your chest is a lie.”

“That’s not what Iris told me,” Barry said.

“Iris isn’t here, is she? And that’s on us.”

“I can change that. Just tell me how you stopped Cobalt.”

“What’s the point? The technology won’t exist for another four years from your time, it won’t help you.”

“Fine. Then tell me who he is.”

“And if I don’t know?”

“You must.”

“Sorry to disappoint you. But I am a very busy person, so-”

Future Barry opened his office door and gestured towards it. Cisco opened another breach instead.

“Fine,” Barry said.

* * *

S.T.A.R. Labs was empty when Cisco breached them back in.

“I’m sorry,” Barry said.

“That’s not you,” Cisco said.

“I won’t let it be.”

“Your best friend died in front of you,” Hartley said. “Is it a surprise you pushed everyone away?” He sighed. “You should get back. I’m sorry we can’t be more help.”

“If the technology to stop Cobalt-”

“But we don’t know what it is,” Cisco said. “Barry had already given up with the Flash by then. The only person who might know is Wally.”

“Then I’ll go see Wally,” Barry said. Cisco and Hartley locked eyes. “What? Why isn’t Wally the Flash if I’m being too much of an idiot? Oh, G-”

“Wally’s fine,” Cisco said. “Mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“Sure,” Hartley said. “Let’s go and see Wally.”

* * *

The fact Cisco was knocking on Joe’s front door even though Wally was now twenty-nine was hopefully more of a comment on house prices and rent than it was on the state of Wally.

Jax opened the door.

“Cisco, Hartley, you’re...” He trailed off and looked at Barry. “You’re not our Barry.”

“He’s from 2017,” Cisco said.

“Are the other Legends here too?” Barry asked.

“There are no more Legends,” Jax said. “We made a mistake. Come in.” Jax stepped back so they could go through the door. “Wally, company!”

Wally was sitting in the front room, holding a baby. Barry stared.

“There’s my little future doctor,” Cisco said. He rushed over to fuss the baby. “Oh, such a big girl now!”

“Wally?” Barry asked.

“Hey. I thought I felt something in the Speed Force.” Wally smiled. “Jax, you want your daughter back before Cisco steals her again?”

“Your daughter?” Barry asked.

“Barry, this is Martina,” Jax said. “She’s six months. Wally takes care of her sometimes.”

“She’s my goddaughter, it’s my pleasure,” Wally said. “Auntie Laurel and I have been fighting over it, haven’t we, Tina? And Lily will probably join in when she gets back from lecturing. What can we help you with, Bare?”

“Why aren’t you the Flash? Future me is an idiot, but you-”

“I can’t run.”

“What?”

“We heal fast,” Wally said. “But not perfectly.”

“I know. You got hurt?”

“I went after Cobalt, right after he took Iris. I got hurt, and I have some heart problems. Henry thought it’s probably best if I avoid too much stress on it and running falls under that.”

“Wally.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“You trapped Cobalt.”

“Barry did, I was already hurt. No, I can’t tell you what date you need to run to, or who you need to ask.”

“And you can’t vibe it?” Barry asked. Cisco shrugged and took off one of his gloves. Metal fingers moved up and down.

“It wasn’t long after,” Cisco said. “I went after Caitlin.”

“Caitlin did that?”

“She’s not calling herself Caitlin anymore,” Hartley spat.

“I can still vibe,” Cisco said. “I can still feel it all. But my hands were a focus for my powers and without them I don’t feel in control. And I know how bad losing control would be.”

“But you have Firestorm.”

“Old age caught up with Grey,” Jax said. “It happens. Jason drops in sometimes, but Ronnie can’t face being in the same city as Killer Frost.”

“Can I see her?”

“Will that help?” Hartley asked.

“I don’t know. But it’s Caitlin.”

“I’ll go with you,” Cisco said. “Hart, you should stay with Wally.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

* * *

Barry felt his connection to the Speed Force slip as soon as he stepped inside the metawing. Fluorescent lights glared down at them, and Cisco stopped in front of a cell.

Caitlin’s hair was white, and her lips were blue. Her eyes were piercing, and cold, and she looked at Barry with hate in her eyes.

“And here I thought you promised I’d never see you again.”

“What happened to you?” Barry asked.

“You let Iris die.”

“No. No, I’m going to save her, I will.”

“He’s from 2017,” Cisco said. “He can save her, Caitlin.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Caitlin, please,” Barry said. “I just want to understand.”

“Understand? What more is there to understand? You killed Iris. This hope never gets you anywhere, Allen. Give up. There’s only one way to stop him.”

“Future Barry said there was some technology-”

“No. That was how you put him in the Speed Force and caused this. I stopped him. He broke my heart, so I broke his, with an icicle through it. After that, I wasn’t Caitlin Snow anymore.”

“I’m going to fix this,” Barry said.

“How?”

“I don’t know. But I will.”

* * *

Future Barry was waiting outside Iron Heights. He narrowed his eyes.

“Why is he still here?”

“Caitlin killed Cobalt,” Cisco said. “Did you know that? The one that came back, that was the past version, the one from before he-”

“You need to go back to your own time. Knowing too much about your future is dangerous.”

“This isn’t my future,” Barry said. “I’m going to save Iris.”

“Haven’t you worked it out? It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Everything you do will take you back to that point. I tried everything. You cannot change it.”

“I can. I’m not alone. I have my friends, my family. You’re the one who turned your back on them, not me.”

“And yet it took you months to ask for help.”

“That was a mistake. I should have spoken to them sooner.”

“No, we shouldn’t have told them. We should have let Iris enjoy her time without a cloud hanging over it.”

“You really think she’d want that? Iris is the bravest person I know, and I know that’s why you gave up.”

“I gave up because there’s no point. All those years trying, and it just caused trauma after trauma, loss after loss, and I can’t keep doing this. Yes, I did know about Caitlin. She told me. And she knows who Cobalt was under the armour too. She refuses to tell me that.”

“Then we have to go back in there, convince her-”

“I don’t think we can,” Cisco said.

“We can try.”

“Sometimes trying isn’t enough,” future Barry said.

“Haven’t you ever listened to Joe? Trying is always enough. Whatever we do, we can never save everyone. But we can try. Maybe we only save one person, that’s one more than if we sat and did nothing.”

“Tracy Brand.”

“What?”

“She’s the one who develops the Speed Force trap. She might already be working on a prototype.”

“Thank you,” Barry said. “I’ll try and fix this. You should too.”

Future Barry’s face seemed softer, less angry. He nodded.

“And you should leave.”

“I’m leaving,” Barry said. “It was good to see you, Cisco.”

“It’s always good to see you,” Cisco said.

“This won’t change Martina, will it?”

“I can’t say for certain. But I don’t think so.”

Barry nodded.

“We’ll fix this.”

* * *

Barry ran back into his Cortex seconds after he left. Caitlin was there, with brown hair and brown eyes. She startled a little as Barry hugged her.

“Did it work?” Julian asked.

“Yes, the future sucks,” Barry said.

“But we stop Cobalt,” Wally said.

“Dick Future me said Tracy Brand develops the technology that puts Cobalt in the Speed Force in four years, but Caitlin said that was past Cobalt so that needs to exist in four years.”

“But what about this Cobalt? Did they stop him after? We can use that plan now, we can-”

“Killer Frost stopped him,” Barry said. Caitlin stepped back and Iris immediately had an arm around her.

“So, throwing that plan out the window,” Cisco said.

“It wasn’t a plan. I pushed everyone away, and Wally went after Cobalt alone and got hurt, he couldn’t run anymore, then Caitlin was angry and hurting and she said she pushed an icicle through his chest, and Cisco went after her and lost his hands.”

“You weren’t kidding when you said the future sucks,” Cisco said. “At least tell me I still have my good looks.”

“Yeah, you’re still hot,” Barry said. Cisco looked at him. “What?”

“Maybe a little too casual?”

“You asked.”

“You did ask,” Lily said. “You are an aesthetically appealing person, and I might be the only person in this room not into guys.”

“Not the only one,” Julian said. “I’m aro ace.”

“Nice,” Lily said. She raised her hand to high five Julian. “Was there anything good in the future?

“Jax has a baby who is very cute,” Barry said. “Apparently you’re lecturing somewhere, no one told me where Eddie was so I guess I sent that tits up when I shoved everyone away, so you might be having a good time?”

“That doesn’t sound like it,” Eddie said.

“And it’s not going to happen,” Iris said. “Promise me, you two.”

“Us?” Wally asked.

“Yes, you. You promise you won’t go after Cobalt alone, and Barry, promise you won’t shut yourself off.”

“I promise to try,” Barry said.

“I did actually already promise Dad that?” Wally said. Iris raised an eyebrow. “Fine, I promise. Not that it’ll make a difference after we save you.”

“Caitlin,” Linda said. “You look really pale. Are you feeling okay?”

“I don’t- I can’t- I wouldn’t-”

“That was a possible future, one where you’re alone with a broken heart,” Cisco said. “It doesn’t have to be your future. Did I tell you about that alternate timeline I vibed where we didn’t help Hartley get un-fired, and he went after Thawne himself, before we knew, and he tried to kill Barry?”

“Thank you for that, Cisco,” Hartley said.

“I said alternate timeline, it’s not this you. There’s one where I help Thawne in an effort to not be killed by him, there are infinity possibilities, and that’s just one.”

“Did you find out anything else?” Laurel asked.

“You mean Cobalt’s identity?” Barry asked. “No. Apparently Frost knew, but she wouldn’t tell Future me, and she didn’t even mention it to me. Maybe she didn’t think it would help.”

“Do you know anything about Tracy Brand?” Eddie asked. Barry shook his head. “We can look tomorrow.”

“I have an article I need to finish,” Linda said. “Wally, can you give me a lift?”

“What?” Wally asked. “Running? Yeah, yeah, of course. Err. Yeah.”

* * *

Barry was fairly sure Linda’s article was actually because she realised everyone- especially Iris and Caitlin- needed some time processing what Barry had told them, but that did seem important.

He couldn’t sleep.

He kept thinking about the future. Future Barry had been so set on there being nothing they could do, so he must have tried everything he could think of. And future Caitlin had kept the name to herself, so she must have thought it wouldn’t help. Killer Frost or not, she was still Caitlin, if she’d thought it would help save Iris, she would have said.

Which meant it wasn’t Eobard. That had only been a theory, but it was the only one they had so far. They knew Cobalt was linked to the old timeline thanks to Wally’s dreams, and now they also knew he’d gone into the Speed Force in this timeline. Or a possible future of this timeline, which presumably meant if they changed the timeline, he’d become a time remnant. They just had to keep Iris alive, and the Speed Force would deal with Cobalt.

But if he’d come from the old timeline- from before Eobard changed it- maybe he was already a time remnant.

He did eventually drift off, and he didn’t have much time to think about it the next day either (he had an arson case to work on), but his dad arrived at C.C.P.D. after Barry’s shift. The two of them headed to Jitters, and Barry went through everything he’d found out about the future.

“Do you know where to start looking for Tracy Brand?” his dad asked.

“Cisco and Hartley are working on it,” Barry said. “If anyone can find her, it’s them.”

“And what if she’s not working on this yet?”

“I don’t know. We’ll think of something. I still think finding out who Cobalt is would help, but the only person we know who came back that night was-”

Barry froze.

That made- That made sense. And that was why she hadn’t told him, under all of it she was still Caitlin, she still cared about them, and she’d know all it would do is hurt. But he hadn’t done it yet, and Barry could convince him, he knew he could-

“Barry?”

“I know who Cobalt is. I’ll be right back, Dad.”

* * *

Cobalt was exactly where Barry had expected him to be. Standing at the top of the hill overlooking Central City.

“I wondered when you’d work it out, Flash.”

“Take the mask off, _Flash_ ,” Barry spat.

Cobalt stepped out the armour and Barry glared at his own face. Cobalt was older than him, slightly taller and broader, slightly lighter hair, but they had the same eyes, the same face, the same lightning bolt. Cobalt’s suit was darker and torn (Barry assumed from fighting in the Crisis), but it was his suit.

“I really did think it would be sooner than this,” the other Barry said. “Maybe I’m even more of an idiot than I thought.”

“Leave Iris alone.”

“But we’ve both been to the future, Barry, we know how this ends. You told me what I have to do.”

“It’s Iris.”

“No it’s not. Not really. Iris is home safe with Dawnie and Donnie.”

“That is Iris. That’s my Iris. You leave my Iris alone.”

“You stole my life. And you refused to do the only thing that would set this right and get me home.”

“It doesn’t work that way.”

“It will work that way. I’ll make it work that way. You can either run back now and fix this, or wait until after I make you, but you will fix this, Bartholomew.”

“I love my mother. I love her so much. But this doesn’t just change my life, it changes my friends’ lives, it changes the whole world, and you can’t control what happens.”

“I can! I can and I will, I am not losing everything now. I have lost too much; the Speed Force _owes_ me.”

“It doesn’t work that way!”

The older Barry had him pinned to a tree by his neck before he had time to react. Cobalt squeezed, and Barry couldn’t breathe-

“I know why they picked you. You are your own worst enemy, defeat yourself, Barry, and you can have your life back, they’ve done it before. I don’t care what face you’re wearing; I will win this fight. You can’t trap me forever!”

Cobalt dropped Barry. He fell to the floor, coughing and spluttering, and when he looked up, Cobalt was gone.

* * *

Barry’s dad noticed the bruising around his neck as soon as Barry had run back. He pulled Barry in close.

“It’s me,” Barry said.

“I know, Slugger.”

“No, I’m Cobalt. I did those things. I’m going to hurt Iris.”

“You couldn’t.”

“The night Thawne killed Mom, I ran back too. I was the other lightning, the one that took me out the house instead of saving her. And then I turn into him.”

“Oh, Barry.” His dad hugged him tighter. “It’ll be all right.”

“I have to go to S.T.A.R. Labs.”


	13. Dilemma

Wally had ended up spending quite a while with Linda after running her home. They'd had a lot to talk about. The future, his dad and Cecile, the Speed Force, Max, Linda's article on these fires that had started popping up across the city (the most popular theory going around was that Heatwave was back, but they knew Mick was on the _Waverider_ ), all sorts. Linda was really easy to talk to. He'd even ended up getting home after his dad.

"Busy night?"

"Barry ran to the future to see if there's a way to stop Cobalt. I was with Linda."

"Barry ran to the future again."

It didn't take long for Wally to explain everything to his dad. He just nodded.

"We have an idea though," Wally said.

"That's good."

"How was your date with Cecile?"

"Good. Good."

"What?"

"She told me she loved me."

"I'm calling Iris."

"Wallace."

"Did you say it back?"

"No. I froze."

"Definitely calling Iris."

"I'm still keeping secrets from her."

"Then don't," Wally said. "Iris and Barry said the two of you have been friends for years and this probably would have happened a lot sooner if you and Ma had had closure over that a lot sooner, so it's not like this came out of nowhere. And Cecile's nice. I don't mind if you want to tell her I'm Kid Flash and you work with Team Labs. Barry probably won't mind either. I don't think anyone would. Also, you should probably talk to Iris."

* * *

The thing was, with everything that had been going on, Wally hadn't really been thinking about the future. Or rather, he'd been thinking about one specific event that could potentially happen in the future, and nothing else. If it did happen, he'd want to be at home with his dad. They'd need each other.

But if it didn't happen, his dad would probably be spending more time with Cecile. Maybe even get to living together stage, and he might want some space. Also it would be nice for Wally to have some of his own space too, so he could, say, invite Linda over without his dad also being there. Not that they didn't already know each other and like each other and Wally would be talking to her any way other than platonically (unless Linda was down for that), but theoretically.

Pulling up the webpage at S.T.A.R. Labs was more idle thought than anything else but dropping his mug when he saw rent amouts drew attention from everyone else in the Cortex. So far it was just him, Caitlin, Hartley, Cisco, Lily, and Laurel, but his dad, Eddie, and Julian were on their way, and Iris and Linda. Barry was meeting his dad, so he'd mentioned being late.

Lily leaned in to see what was going on.

"Oh," she said. "House prices. They're a lot."

"You live with your mother," Hartley said.

"So she's not alone while Dad is time travelling, and I pay half the bills," Lily said. "I lived on my own for six years while I was at M.I.T."

"I'm not thinking of buying a house in the suburbs," Wally said. "Iris said the only reason Dad has one is because he inherited it. I think they've just set my limit too high."

"Weren't you looking at apartments the other day?" Cisco asked Laurel.

"Lily's not the only one living with her mother," Laurel said.

"Because you were hurt," Caitlin said.

"And now I'm better. There's a few I've been looking at."

"I don't even know if I will," Wally said. "Dad might need me."

"If you want to just try it for a while, there's a few two-bedrooms ones in my budget," Laurel said. "I haven't had a roommate since law school, it could be fun."

"Is that okay?"

"I wouldn't be offering if it wasn't, Wally."

"I might take you up on that."

Iris and Linda walked in, closely followed by Wally's dad, Eddie, and Julian.

"Anything going on?" Iris asked.

"Laurel said she's looking for a place to rent and if I want, I can try being roommates for a few months to see how it goes," Wally said.

"As long as you're still home for Sunday dinner," Wally's dad said.

"Every week. Did you talk to Cecile?"

"What's going on with Cecile?" Iris asked.

"She told Dad she loves him, and he wants to tell her about working with Team Labs. I said he could tell her I'm Kid Flash."

"I think all of us are fine with that," Cisco said.

"She told you she loved you?" Iris asked. "Did you say it back?"

"He said he froze," Wally said. His dad frowned at him. "I told you you should talk to Iris."

"Dad, you have to tell her," Iris said. "Let's call her right-"

Barry ran in with Henry. He was trembling, and Eddie rushed over to him.

"Cobalt," Eddie said. Barry nodded. "What did he do to you?"

"I found him," Barry said. "He's me. The- The one from that night."

"What?" Iris asked. "Barry-"

"I spoke to him. I saw his face. My face."

"Eobard wasn't the only one who travelled back," Lily said. "That timeline's Flash did too. I assumed he'd been erased after..."

"If he's from the other timeline, he's not you," Laurel said.

"He is though. He is, he's me, we were the same person until that night, he's-"

"A time remnant," Cisco said. "He's Spock Prime from the reboots if Spock turned evil. I knew he looked like a Decepticon. I regret that."

"That's why my Alchemy dreams stopped at the Crisis," Wally said. "That was as far as he could remember."

"And that's why he ran forwards first," Iris said. "He was trying to go home."

"And because I thought he was Cobalt and he killed you, I trapped him in the Speed Force," Barry said. "It's still my fault."

"It's more of a time loop," Cisco said. "It must have already been an idea."

"But why?" Caitlin asked.

"He wants me to change time," Barry said. "He wants me to save Mom."

"Why not do it himself?" Wally's dad asked.

"He's a time remnant," Lily said. "The Legends said Thawne's being chased by Black Flash, I think time travel would draw too much attention to himself."

"And it wouldn't work," Linda said. "It's like in Back to the Future when Marty's life is slightly different because he went to the past, right?"

"He could want the same thing Eobard's looking for," Eddie said.

"He doesn't," Barry said. "He said he's going to make it work. That the Speed Force owes him. He said you're not the real Iris, and I think he thinks I'm a trick the Speed Force is playing on him."

"He's been hurt for a long time," Wally said. "He thinks he's about to give his life in the Crisis and instead he watched Eobard kill his mother, tried to get home and instead came face to face with a different Barry and a completely different life, and then he spent who knows how long in the Speed Force seeing who knows what. He's hurting and he wants to go home."

"And we can't help him," Iris said. "Can we?"

"I don't think so," Barry said.

"You can't change time. There has to be something else we can do."

* * *

Barry was Cobalt. Not their Barry, but a Barry, the Barry Wally had dreamt about. The dreams were mostly fuzzy now (Cisco said even his vibes got like that, it wasn't easy to hold memories of multiple timelines, even for speedsters), but Wally still had flashes. Running with Barry, holding Iris and Barry's twins, the other speedsters, Linda.

Part of him wondered if those memories with Linda were affecting how he felt about her. But then she'd smile at him, and he forgot that.

He didn't know what to do. He couldn't imagine Barry hurting anyone, especially not Iris.

But then Wally knew he'd do anything to save Iris. If changing time was the way to do it-

Except they didn't know what would happen. Wally knew they didn't know what would happen. Only that everything would be different, and they couldn't control it. Time travel caused so many problems. It was fine for the Legends; Wally would much rather stay out of it.

There had to be another way. There had to. Somehow.

Somehow.

* * *

He'd already been pulled to one side by Professor Dhawan because his concentration at school was slipping, and she wanted to check he was all right. He had his dissertation to finish, coursework, exams would be starting soon, there was so much.

He didn't even know if there was a point to him finishing his degree. He was so busy with other things, and he already had S.T.A.R. Labs, if he didn't have lectures, he could spend more time focusing on saving Iris.

But he'd worked so hard to start, and his mother had been so proud of him, and he was so nearly done...

Maybe he should have asked for an extension. There was just so much and even with superspeed he couldn't do it all.

He couldn't lose someone else he loved.

A familiar looking someone was outside Professor Dhawan's lab.

"Cisco?" Wally asked.

"Wally. You are here."

"I do actually go to my lessons. Apparently, I'm distracted, and my grades might slip, but I do go."

"We're going to look at that later," Cisco said. "Do you know the way to Lab 5A?"

"It's at the end of this corridor," Wally said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see Tracy Brand."

"You found her? She teaches here?"

"Not exactly." Cisco knocked on a door. "She's a grad student."

Tracy Brand looked frazzled, with her hair starting to fly out the ponytail, and a burning bucket in front of her. Wally grabbed the fire extinguisher and aimed.

"What are you doing?" Ms Brand asked.

"Not setting fire to the campus?" Wally said.

"I had that under control."

"Great," Cisco said. "Anyway, Ms Brand? My name is Cisco Ramon, I'm here on behalf of S.T.A.R. Labs. This is Wally West."

"You're from S.T.A.R. Labs?"

"We heard about your research and think you might be able to help us with something."

"I doubt it. According to Professor Hersh it's a waste of university funding."

"Well, a lot of our projects would probably fall under that too, but the university doesn't work on the assumption the multiverse is real, do they?"

"What exactly is S.T.A.R. Labs working on?"

"That's a long explaination, but the short version is we're trying to help the Flash with something."

"Okay," Ms Brand said. "Bye."

She turned around and walked out the other door to the lab.

"That went well," Cisco said. "Come on. It's coursework time."

Wally groaned.

* * *

Lily and Hartley were the only two in the Cortex when Cisco breached them in.

"Where's Caitlin?" Wally asked.

"She went with Barry," Lily said. "There's another fire, they went to put it out. Barry made her a blue mask and she's wearing the stuff from your terrible idea, but you're on costume design later."

"Do they need help?" Wally asked. "I can go help-"

"Nope, you have essays," Cisco said. "Come on."

Wally followed Cisco down to his lab. He cleared a space off the desk and Wally pulled out his laptop.

Coursework time.

He groaned. Concentrating was even harder than normal. Barry and Caitlin- Caitlin- were out there and he could be helping but he-

No. He had to finish these. He could do it.

* * *

Sometimes, time was a very disorentating thing. There was always an itch under his skin wanting to go fast, wanting to speed up, and staying at everyone else's pace was a conscious effort. It was easier when there were other people, being with Team Labs he could almost forget, but when he was concentrating on one thing it was easy to slip.

He'd written half an essay when Cisco jumped up.

"Grab your suit."

"What?"

"Cobalt's going after Tracy Brand, Linda's just sent an alert, he's in Jitters. Suit. Now."

"What about Barry?"

"He's still after this Coolidge guy with Caitlin. Wally."

Wally nodded.

* * *

Jitters was empty except for Cobalt leaning over Tracy Brand when Wally ran in. Cisco and Hartley breached in just behind him.

"Barry, stop!" Wally shouted. Cobalt straightened and stepped back.

"Wally."

"This isn't you," Wally said.

"You don't know me. You're not my Wally. You're a trick, a trap-"

"No, Barry, it's me. It's Wally. I remember the twins, and Bart and Jenni. You have to stop this."

"I won't be trapped again. I have to get home, I have to get back to my children, I won't be trapped again."

"This isn't you. Barry, can't you see what you're doing? This isn't you."

Barry shot out the door.

Tracy Brand was staring at them.

"He said I do something in the future. Those people from S.T.A.R. Labs-"

"We need your help," Wally said.

"Don't do it," Hartley said. Wally pulled down his cowl. "Do either of you understand the concept of a secret identity."

"Please," Wally said. "Please, my sister is in danger and we really need your help."

"How can I possibly help you?" Ms Brand asked.

"Your research."

"Professor Dhawan is the only one who listens to my hypotheses. The idea of some external force-"

"They're called the Speed Force. I've been there. The Flash has talked to them. They're sentient. In four years, your research helps create the trap which stops Cobalt, that's why he came after you. The Flash ran to the future. But we need to change the future, because my sister dies in a month, and I can't lose my sister. Please, Iris deserves a chance, and we already lost our mother. Please."

"A month isn't long enough."

"I know. But we don't have anything else."

"I can try."

"Thank you."

* * *

A month was not long enough. Wally liked Tracy. She seemed nice. A little scatter-brained at times, but nice. And it wasn't like the rest of them weren't easily distracted. Especially him and Barry at times. Barry put it down to their brains working quickly too.

Tracy was nice, and trying her best, but a month was not long enough. It wasn't surprising it had taken four years last time.

They didn't have four years.

At least he'd managed to finish most of his coursework. He'd graduate in the summer with his Masters, and Iris wouldn't be there.

Cobalt wanted Barry to time travel. But if Wally was a speedster too, he could time travel too. Probably. He and Barry had already noticed that when he phased through electronics it tended to be slightly more explosive than when Barry did, Jesse had mentioned vibrating so fast she turned invisible, and Max had let slip they were a lot older than they looked, so maybe their powers weren't exactly the same, but it stood to reason that if Barry could time travel and Jay could time travel, Wally probably could too.

Time travel had consequences. They wouldn't be able to put things back to how they were before. They'd probably just make things worse.

And Iris had asked them not to.

It wasn't fair. That was Wally's sister. He loved her. And he knew she was not okay with what was happening.

He'd already lost one person. He couldn't do this again. If time travel was the answer...

He needed to run. Everything was easier when he was running.

The Badlands were big and empty, and there was nothing to hold him back.

Breaking the sound barrier was easy now. He could drown out everything and just run.

The Speed Force sang out when Barry and Jesse slipped in either side of him. Lighting danced between them and Wally slowed to a stop.

The three of them perched on a rock.

"How's Earth-3?" Wally asked.

"Good," Jesse said. "I thought I'd just see how you are."

"Are you staying there?" Barry asked.

"For now. Earth-2 is my home. I know they don't want a Flash, but that's home. Where my dad is."

"It's not that they don't want a Flash. It's that they don't want a Hunter Zoloman. But you're not him, so you'll work it out."

They sat in silence for a while, just listening to the birds sing and the beese buzzing from flower to flower.

"Tracy's not going to finish in time, is she," Wally said.

"We'll think of something," Barry said.

"I don't trust time travel. I know the Legends do their thing, but the Singularity, Cobalt, Alchemy, the Dominators, even Zoom, they're all consequences of time travel."

"It's done good things," Jesse said.

"I know. But it always leads to just as many problems as it solves, doesn't it? And we can never predict the consequences."

"But it's Iris," Barry said.

"It's Iris," Wally said. "We can't do that, we can't, and she asked us not to. But it's a way to save her and..."

"And you don't know if you'd be able to resist," Barry said. Wally nodded. "I get it."

"I understand Cobalt. He's desperate to get home, that's all. Any one of us could do the same."

"No," Barry said. "You couldn't."

"You said it yourself, we can run rings around everyone we know, who could stop us?"

"Cisco. Charmer."

"Each other," Jesse said. "Our families wouldn't let it get that far."

"But if we lost everyone," Wally said.

"You're a good person, Wally," Barry said. "It's easy to be angry sometimes. I was just angry for years. The world can be big and awful, and hurt, but there's good too. There's always good. Sometimes it has to be you, but it's still there. Iris doesn't want us to. We have to respect that. She wants us to be there for Joe and Caitlin, for each other, not to push everyone away."

"She's my sister."

"You'll work it out," Jesse said. "You saved me from Zoom. He had me for months, I didn't think I was ever going to leave that place, but you saved me. I can stay and help if you need me to."

"You already have two Earths to worry about," Barry said. "We know how to find you if we do need you."

"For anything," Jesse said.

The sun touched the horizon and the sky exploded into colour.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Wally asked.

"I'm sure," Iris said.

"It's just, it's a lot of running."

"I know."

"And usually none of you like being run places?"

"I know."

"And what's with the Grand Canyon anyway, it's some steep cliffs and a river too much water gets taken out of, and-"

"Wally," Iris said. "We could go literally anywhere, that was just a suggestion. Pick anywhere."

"Shouldn't we be working on finding Cobalt?"

"You need to be fast to stop him, don't you?"

"Yes."

"And so far you only run around Central, so you probably need to work on your stamina."

"You want to tell everyone this is training?"

"Come on. You know you want to."

"I'll find some running shoes."

* * *

They stopped off quite a few times on the way to Colorado. Ate a lot of food. Laughed and joked.

The Grand Canyon itself had a lot of rocks.

A lot.

"What was this actually about?" Wally asked. "Because it wasn't stamina training and it definitely wasn't you suddenly becoming really interested in geology."

"I just wanted to spend some time with my little brother," Iris said. She ruffled his hair and he lightly shoved her back. "We didn't get this growing up."

"I wish we had. I know they had their reasons and I'm not angry with either of them, and I love growing up with Mom, I wouldn't want to leave her, and I know you wouldn't want to leave Dad, but I wish we'd at least had weekends together or something."

"We can't change the past."

"I know. I know you don't want either of us to, so I won't."

"We can wish though. I'm really glad I met you, Walls."

"I'm really glad too."

"So, when are you asking Linda out?" Iris asked. Wally rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'm your big sister, I'm supposed to tease you about your love life."

"I don't know if you count as a big sister, you're so small."

"You take that back."

* * *

The calculations on the board in the Cortex didn't look promising.

"That's a lot of energy," Wally said.

"And nothing that can produce that amount of energy exists," Tracy said. "Maybe that's why it doesn't get invented for another four years."

"There is something," Cisco said. "A.R.G.U.S. has a core from one of the Dominator ships."

"So, we can call Lyla," Lily said.

"I don't think Lyla could give it to us," Caitlin said. "A.R.G.U.S. is a government agency and we're a small private lab."

"And you'd have to explain how we knew about it," Julian said.

"Isn't Lyla on maternity leave?" Barry asked. "Baby John's due in a few days."

"So, we steal it," Hartley said.

"I'm going to go," Wally's dad said. "Barry, Eddie, Julian, you should too."

"Yeah, Hart, you shouldn't joke about theft in front of law enforcement," Cisco said. "Because he's absolutely joking."

Barry ran out the room with Eddie and Julian left with Wally's dad offering him a lift back to C.C.P.D.

"He's not joking, how do we do that?"

"You're going to steal it?" Tracy asked.

"It's not the first time we've broken into a government somewhere," Lily said. "Laurel, should you be here for this?"

"I'm more intrigued by how you're planning on doing this."

"Hartley knows stuff," Cisco said.

"I know tech stuff, I'm not a Snart," Hartley said.

"We're not asking Lisa."

"Do you have another idea?"

"Yeah, Wally, can you go back in time and borrow Leonard from a Legends mission?"

"If we ask Lisa, we're not putting the timeline in danger," Hartley said.

"But if we ask Leonard, he's mostly a reformed criminal," Cisco said.

"I think you're both missing the obvious," Caitlin said. "We can just call the Legends now and ask Mick. Unlike Leonard there's no time travel needed on our part and unlike Lisa we actually know where he is and can call him."

"Yeah, that works," Cisco said.

"Multiple geniuses in this room and this is the best you can come up," Linda said.

"This is going to be a disaster," Iris said.

* * *

The Legends arrived through a square portal with a tall, blonde woman.

She looked disapprovingly around the room and pulled out a stick thing.

"Nope," Sara said. "No need for that, you don't want to accidentally wipe something important from these very important, very clever people, do you?"

"Yeah," Jax said. "Lily is a part-time time travel scientist, you can't wipe time travel from her memory, she needs it."

"Besides, as Lily and Laurel and Martin's and my next of kin respectively, they already know all about the Legends, and we've asked for help from S.T.A.R. Labs before."

"And that's why all of you needed dropping off here," the woman said.

"Jax and Ray are employees of S.T.A.R. Labs," Cisco said.

"See, it's just practical for you to drop us all off in one place," Sara said. "See you around, Agent Sharpe."

"I hope not."

The woman- Agent Sharpe- walked back through the portal and closed it.

"What was that about?" Lily asked.

"Good news, we stopped Thawne, Darhk, and Merlyn," Sara said. "Bad news, we broke time."

"You did what?" Laurel asked.

"Technically it was our future selves who no longer exist because they travelled back to erase the timeline where the Legion won and they created Doomworld," Nate said.

"So, Rip formed this Time Bureau thing which is trying to put the timeline right in the past, and they took the _Waverider_ ," Sara said.

"No more Legends," Wally said. "Just like future Jax told Barry."

"What now?" Jax asked.

"Let's catch up later," Cisco said. "Mick, we need your help to plan a heist."

"Oh no," Ray said. "Did we screw things up here too? Is that why I work here now?"

"No," Lily said.

"That was just a cover story," Cisco said. "You seemed like you needed one that wasn't telling whoever that was we're Central City's resident superhero team."

"Oh, good," Ray said. "Does Jax have a real job here?"

"He's technically on the books still," Hartley said. "If you want a job, we have been trying to get you to stay since robot bees."

"Aww, really, you guys are the best."

"Anyway," Lily said. "We have a way to stop Cobalt, thanks to Tracy, but it needs a powers source and the only one big enough is from the Dominator's ship and A.R.G.U.S. has it. And Lyla's on maternity leave and we know she can't just give it to us anyway, so we're stealing it."

"Oh, Lily, not again," Martin said.

"It's for a good reason, Dad."

"We're in," Sara said.

* * *

Wally stepped outside the Cortex with Iris while everyone else starting planning.

"Maybe you should stay on Earth-2 for a few days," he said.

"I can't just run away," Iris said. "If it were that easy, he's a time remnant, I could just hop between Earths until he fades. But we don't know how long he'll last, we can't let him hurt anyone, Walls."

"He hasn't, has he? I mean, since he got out. He went after Tracy, but I haven't seen him since. I haven't heard him do anything else."

"We don't know what he's doing," Iris said. "He could be anywhere."

"I love you."

"I love you too. You don't have to be here."

"I'm not leaving your side. Not yet."

* * *

A.R.G.U.S. had power dampeners all around their facility, so it wasn't as simple as Cisco opening a breach.

Ray could shrink down, and Sara, Lily, Hartley, and Mick were going in. Lily had already packed the Cold Gun and her balaclava.

"You have one too?" Amaya asked.

"I built a new one when Barry got trapped in a mirror," Cisco said. "Since you lot still had the one Snart stole."

"It blew up," Ray said. "It's a long story."

"You can tell me later. In thorough detail."

* * *

Step one, they had to disable the security cameras. Cisco and Hartley did that.

Step two, they had to get inside.

Wally watched on the feed from Ray's suit as Sara dealt with the two guards. Only two guards didn't seem enough.

Laurel seemed to be avoiding eye contact.

Getting down to the vault where the core was was way too easy. Something was about to go wrong. Wally knew something was about to go wrong.

"Cisco, pull up specs for the Montgomery 3000," Hartley said.

"You can't hack that," Cisco said. "It needs three different passcodes and it's voice recognition."

"How do you know so much about locks?" Jax asked.

"We looked at it while we were upgrading S.T.A.R. Labs security."

"And you didn't go for it?"

"It costs ten million dollars."

"Okay, fair enough."

"Can we take out the dampeners and get Wally here?" Sara asked.

"What if I freeze the door?" Lily asked.

"It's twenty-five tonnes, and I don't know when it'll shatter," Cisco said. "I don't think Hart's gauntlets could do anything; it's supposed to withstand a nuclear blast."

"It's open," Mick said. Ray must have turned, because the camera shifted to see Mick standing by an open door. He shrugged. "Snart could have done it faster."

"Good thing we didn't go for that one then, dear," Hartley said.

"Something feels wrong," Iris said.

"Don't jinx us," Lily said.

"No, Iris is right," Wally said. "It's too easy, there's a trap."

Ray's camera showed a dark room with blue lighting. The Dominator generator glowed red in the centre.

And the towering figure of King Shark stepped out from behind the generator as the door slammed shut again behind Ray, Sara, and Lily.

"Well," Lily said. "Fuck."

"We'll try and get the door open again," Hartley said. "There must be something we can do."

"What is that?" Amaya asked.

"King Shark," Caitlin said. "He's a half-man, half-shark metahuman Zoom brought over from Earth-2 to kill Barry. I guess A.R.G.U.S. have been using him as a guard."

"Ray, see if you can fit under the door," Sara said. King Shark was getting closer. "Ray."

"I'm not leaving you two in here," Ray said.

King Shark was getting closer.

"I would like to repeat my earlier sentiment," Lily said.

"Jefferson," Martin said. Jax just nodded and the two of them merged.

"They have power dampeners," Nate said.

"And that's Lily and Sara," Jax said. "And Ray."

"if you vaporise the building, they'll know exactly who it was," Linda said.

Fog spread across the floor and King Shark seemed to step back. The fog thickened and thickened, and King Shark dropped to the floor out of sight.

Ray turned around to face Lily.

"Is this you?" Ray asked.

"It's the core of the Cold Gun," Lily said. "Great White sharks aren't big cold fans."

"How do you know that?" Caitlin asked.

"We fought a guy who's half shark, I thought some research might come in useful."

"Amaya would come in useful," Sara said.

"We are still trapped behind a very thick door with King Shark."

"He won't sleep forever," Amaya said.

"Mick opened the door once, he can do it again," Nate said. "Right?"

"We're working on it," Hartley said. "This was a terrible idea."

"It was your idea," Cisco said.

"You should have stopped me."

"It did escalate pretty quickly," Linda said.

"It's not exactly the first time Lily and Hartley have run off to commit crime together," Caitlin said.

"That was for a good reason, and Ronnie helped," Lily said. "Stop making it sound like this is a regular thing when my dad is right there."

"He's still fused with Jax," Wally said. "I'm kind of surprised you're still in the building."

"It's very close," Jax said. "You better be nearly there with that door, Mick."

"There," Hartley said.

Sara grabbbed the Dominator generator and ran out the room with Lily and Ray.

"There should be guards on their way by now, we have to move," she said. Laurel averted her eyes again.

"Did you do something?" Iris asked.

"What?" Laurel asked.

"You did something, didn't you, that's why there were only two guards."

"I might have mentioned this plan to Lyla."

"I thought she was on maternity leave and couldn't help us," Wally said.

"Offically, she can't. But she was able to direct attention away from the security dropping out. She didn't mention King Shark."

"Won't she be a suspect if there's no warning alarms?" Caitlin asked.

"No, she's got the perfect alibi," Iris said. She had her phone out. "According to Felicity, baby John is on his way."

"He's early," Laurel said.

"Must be Diggle genes," Sara said. "We'll be back soon."

* * *

It didn't take long for Tracy to add the power source to the newly dubbed Speed Force bazooka. Wally's dad, Barry, Eddie, and Julian had all come back, Henry had arrived, and the Legends had temporarily darted off. Jax had gone to see Beverly, Martin had gone to see Clarissa, Sara had gone to see Dinah, no one was completely sure where Mick had gone but Wally was guessing Lisa, Nate and Amaya had gone to find food, and Ray-

Actually, Ray was still at S.T.A.R. Labs but he seemed to have nodded off in the Cortex, so they were just letting him sleep. The Legends still hadn't gone into detail on what had happened, but from the sounds of alternative timelines and future selves and dinosaurs, it had probably been exhausting. But all the Legends had said to call if they needed more help.

"Should we test it?" Julian asked. "Can we test it?"

"It works," Lily said. "I'm sure it works."

"Which means all we have to do now is find Cobalt," Hartley said. "Cisco?"

"I can use the satellite to track Speed Force signatures," Cisco said.

"Or," Iris said.

"Or?"

"We don't know where he is now, but we do know where he's going to be."

"No," Wally said.

"Hear-"

"No!"

"It's too dangerous," Wally's dad said.

"Dad, it's the best chance we have."

"We don't even know what he's doing!" Wally said. "Maybe he's faded already, maybe-"

"Wally, this is my decision."

"But it's stupid and dangerous and-"

"And I'll have Kid Flash there to look out for me, won't I?"

"Caitlin, tell her it's a bad idea."

"We have a hologram," Caitlin said. "I hope that's what you're suggesting."

"Iris is right," Barry said. Everyone looked at him. "The easiest way to find him would be to set a trap. We know what he wants."

"You can't open a wormhole," Lily said. "We don't want another Singularity."

"I know, but if I can get him there-"

"Not on your own," Wally said.

"No. Infantino Street's actually not a bad place. There're a few buildings around, we can set him up. Or Cisco can open a breach when he gets there."

"You'll know when if we use the hologram," Iris said.

"It's a better plan than nothing," Eddie said.

* * *

Wally really wasn't sure about this plan at all. Okay, Iris was in the S.T.A.R. Labs van with Caitlin and Henry, they were using the hologram so she wasn't really in danger. Cisco, Hartley, and Tracy were also in the van but would breach in when Cobalt got there with the Speed Force bazooka. Eddie was driving. Wally's dad and Julian were on one roof with a pulse rifle Harry had left behind at some point, or maybe Cisco had stolen it from Earth-2. Lily and Laurel were in an alley between two buildings, Laurel as Black Canary and Lily with the Cold Gun. And Wally was in an alley across from them with Linda who had pulled the Doctor Light gloves out again. Just in case, she'd said.

Linda slipped her hand into Wally's while they waited. She squeezed slightly in reassurance.

They could see Barry and Iris' hologram. Barry was pacing; Iris was trying to get him to calm down. There were enough of them. There were more than enough of them.

And then Cobalt was standing there. He had the metal suit still. Half an hour before they'd been expecting him.

He'd run straight through the hologram.

Cisco's breach opened quickly, Hartley and Tracy already aiming the bazooka, but Cobalt simply side-stepped the blast. Even Wally had trouble seeing as he ran forwards and threw it- and Hartley- aside.

Cisco didn't hesitate before running to Hartley's side. Wally watched Lily and Laurel step out, only to get deposited on the roof with his dad and Julian, and Linda was next to him, and then she was gone-

Wally ran out, just as Barry threw a bolt of lightning. Cobalt caught it easily, throwing it back towards Barry-

Wally ran between them. The lightning hit his chest, and then he flew backwards.

He knew whose hands caught him. Barry laid him down gently.

"I'm fine," Wally said. "I'm fine, Linda-"

"Safe," Barry said. "I've-"

Cobalt threw Barry aside.

"Really. That was the best you could do. You honestly thought I'd let you trap me there again? And you claim you're me."

"I am. I'm real, I'm Barry Allen."

"You're in a mistake. The Time Wraiths were supposed to stop Eobard. I was supposed to stop Eobard. This timeline should never have existed. Ma should be alive, isn't that better?"

"I miss her. So much. But you don't know what will happen. Time travel has consequences, even if you save her, it won't go back to your timeline. You can't go back."

"No. No, you're lying, I will fix this."

"I can't let you hurt my family."

Cobalt was on top of Barry now. His foot was on Barry's chest-

"Stop!" Iris shouted. No, she wasn't in the van, what was she doing-

"Oh, I see," Cobalt said. "You told me I killed her before you sent me there. You think it's now."

"Please," Barry said. "Please, don't, please-"

"Barry, don't," Wally said. He pushed himself up. "Don't, you don't want to do this."

Cobalt got to Iris before Wally did. He had her pinned against his chest.

"Please," Wally said. "Please."

"Let her go," Caitlin said. Ice spread across the ground, and her hair was changing colour. Cobalt cocked his head curiously.

Iris was struggling in his grip and Wally rushed forward.

Cobalt moved again.

"I understand," he said. "I'd do anything for my Iris. I need to get back to her, and our children. I have to. And I need you to open a wormhole. Just that one thing. Think about it."

He vanished.

With Iris.


	14. Terminal Velocity

Iris hadn't seen what had happened. One moment, she'd been ready to use the hologram and try and talk to Cobalt, the next, Wally and Barry had both been on the floor with Cobalt over them. They probably hadn't even noticed they'd slipped into speedster speak again. Hartley was hurt, Cisco was with Hartley, Lily, Laurel, and Linda had somehow ended up on the roof with Iris' dad and Julian, and Wally and Barry were in trouble.

Caitlin and Henry had both tried to stop her, but Iris had reacted on instinct.

In hindsight, it was a bad instinct.

She wasn't sure where in Central they were. The rooof was too low to get a good vantage point, but too high to climb down. There didn't seem to be a door or anything either. It was just her and Barry.

Cobalt had stepped out of the suit and there was no mistaking him. He was older than her Barry, but it was him.

He kept pacing back and forth, as if to prove any doubts she might still have, clutching at his hair with lightning flickering at his edges.

"Bare," Iris said. "Bare, look at me."

"Stop it," Barry said. "Stop it, you're not her."

"Barry, please."

"You're not her! If you were, you'd understand."

"I do understand, Barry. You're upset and you want to go home. You want to get back to your family. But my Barry has a family too."

"Our children are in danger."

"Honey, you did it, you saved the world," Iris said. Barry stopped pacing to stand in front of her. He didn't stop her getting up. "You saved everyone, Bare. I'm sorry this happened to you, and I'm sorry we don't have a way to get you home, but we can give you a new one. Here, with us."

He lent into Iris' touch as she lifted a hand to his cheek. His eyes were red.

"I have to go back. They need me."

"Can you tell me about them? Your children? Wally said you have twins?"

"My little tornadoes," Barry said. "They're speedsters, like me, but their lightning is purple and yellow. They adore Wally, and they hate vegetables, and they look like tiny uses. They're so beautiful, sometimes I look at them and I can't believe we made them."

"My Barry wants kids one day. Or he always did, I don't know if he's talked about it with Eddie yet. Probably not. And I haven't talked to Caitlin yet, but one day."

"They're everything. I have to go back. I have to fix this."

"Fifteen minutes," Iris said.

"What?"

"You were half an hour early, according to the time Barry ran to. I'm assuming there's been at least ten now. Maybe more, maybe less. You're going to give Barry time to think, aren't you? I want to give you fifteen minutes to think too."

"He has another plan."

"No. That was our plan. That was all we had. Explain the Philosopher's Stone to me."

"It's calcified Speed Force, it can activate metagenes. Speedsters also have a greater ability to remember multiple timelines, that's a gift from the Speed Force. I thought if I could make everyone remember..."

"You gave bad people powers though. Frankie's nice, I'm glad she's at a stable home now, and I'm very proud of Wally even though I worry about him sometimes, but Clariss and Yorkin? They hurt people."

"I..."

"And Julian? You used him, Barry. You hurt him. You made him do bad things and made him blame himself for things that aren't his fault. If you're anything like my Barry, you know exactly what that's like."

"Get away from my sister."

Iris turned around. Wally was standing there, cowl up, fury in his eyes.

"Wally," Barry said.

"You heard me."

"Wally, wait," Iris said. "We're talking."

"Really? Dad's blaming himself, Hartley and Barry are hurt, Caitlin's lost control of her powers, and you're talking to the guy who wants to kill you?"

"I don't want to hurt either of you," Barry said. "I need your help. I have to do this."

"This is wrong, and you know it. My dreams stopped after I got my powers, they don't feel real like they did, but I remember bits. I remember the twins, I remember Jenni and Bart, I remember Linda, and Iris, and you. What would they say if they knew what you were doing? What would Nora say?"

"Wally-"

"You took Julian's mind and manipulated him into hurting people. Sound familiar?"

"It's not the same, the Anti-Monitor was using me to destroy the multiverse, Hayden was just stopping me fighting so they could keep siphoning my Speed Force, I saw them die, I saw them all die-"

"And then you got free," Iris said.

"Jenni and Bart rescued me. They weren't supposed to be there. I knew then I was supposed to die that day. They saved me."

"But someone had to," Wally said. "And you wouldn't let anyone else."

"You'd already told us about your plans to propose. Bart mentioned your children. You're Wally, I couldn't... You were nine when we met. I remember. You used to follow Iris everywhere. And you used to try and help me with science experiments. I was so happy when you got powers too. I didn't have a team like yours. I had Iris, and you. Sometimes GL might stop by, later there was the League, and you introduced us to Linda, but for years, before the lightning, it was the three of us. How could I let you die, knowing the only reason I was there was my grandchildren interfering with time?"

"And then you watched Eobard kill Nora," Iris said. "When you tried to go home, everything was different."

"And I saw my mother die over and over in the Speed Force," Wally said. "I can only imagine what you saw."

"We know you're hurting," Iris said. "Eobard had a newspaper with the headline 'Flash vanishes, missing in Crisis', that was you. I'm really sorry. But you're the Flash. You're a hero. You can't let your hurt change that. It's not who you are."

"Iris, I don't know what to do."

"It's not fair. Any of it. It's not fair this happened to you, and it's not fair Eobard took Nora when she should have had a long life. But our Barry already turned down the chance to save her when Eobard offered it. He wanted to. I know he wanted to. But time travel is too unpredictable. And we've had good lives here. Bad things happened. But good too. Like Hartley."

"Pied Piper. He's a Rogue."

"He's a hero. He nearly wasn't. And Eobard used him. Hurt him. But he turned away from Snart and fought Eobard, and he's happy. Isn't that good? And Caitlin. I love her, Barry. I want to be with her forever. That's not because I don't love you, I do, but it's different. You love your Iris in the way I love Caitlin and Barry loves Eddie and I think- I think I might love my Barry in the way you love your Wally? He's not my brother. I know my Wally and Barry are brothers, but Barry, he's my Barry. He's always been there, he's my best friend, my Barry."

"We're a family," Wally said. "Our lives were different, but I still had a good childhood. I love Dad, and Iris, and I love Mom, I don't have any regrets. But if you're a Barry, then you're still a version of my brother."

"And that means you're good," Iris said. "You've hurt people and you'll have to deal with that, but you're still Barry, which means you're good. We thought you were planning, that's why you haven't done much since coming out the Speed Force, but you were just trying to find a way home. Come home with us."

"That's not my home."

"I know you miss your family. They must miss you too. And we don't have a way to give you your life back. But we can give you a new one. Here, with us."

"They won't want me," Barry said.

"They will," Wally said. "Our Barry didn't tell us he thought he wa just a time remnant because he thought we wouldn't want him, but that's not true. It's a big family. There's room for you."

"We'll find a way to explain you," Iris said. "Maybe, maybe say you're our Barry's cousin, or maybe that you're Malcolm and there was a mistake when you were born?"

"And you already have a superhero name," Wally said. "The Flash, Kid Flash, and Cobalt, speedster protectors of Central City."

"I fought a guy named Cobalt Blue once," Barry said.

"We'll think of a different name then."

"And Cisco can vibe other timelines," Iris said. "I don't think he can send you back, but he might be able to check up on everyone for you?"

Barry nodded slowly.

"I think it's been fifteen minutes, Bare," Iris said. "Ready?"

"Okay."

* * *

Infantino Street was covered in ice. That was the first thing Iris noticed when Wally put her down.

Caitlin rushed forward to kiss her.

"Iris."

"I'm okay, Cait. Everything's fine."

"Step back."

"Dad, it's okay," Iris said. She stepped forward to hug him. "He's okay."

Everyone had regrouped by the S.T.A.R. Labs van. Eddie was with Hartley and Cisco, so she guessed he'd been using his powers, and Lily and Laurel were close. Linda had clearly been trying to take care of Caitlin until they'd arrived.

Barry frowned at them, then at the other Barry.

"He's fine," Wally said. "He was hurting, but he's going to make up for that. There's room for him with us, isn't there?"

"What?" Julian asked.

"I owe you an apology," Cobalt Barry said. "Everyone, but particularly you."

"And that fixes everything."

"No. But I hope it starts. Doctor Brand, you need to reverse your Speed Force cannon."

"Why?" Tracy asked.

"To open the Speed Force."

"Why, so you can run in and change time anyway?" Cisco spat. "They don't understand Time like I do, _Cobalt._ "

"Not for me," he said. "For Jay. It can bring Jay back."

"If it saved Jay, we'll do it," Barry said. "It's Jay."

"Cisco, you can see other timeline," Iris said. "You showed me."

"I can't open a breach there," Cisco said. "I can't. I don't know how. You wouldn't last long anyway."

"What do you mean?" Wally asked.

"He's a time remnant. We assumed he'd faded after Eobard changed time because he should have, the only reason he's been able to last this long is the time loop where he kills Iris so Barry traps him so he goes after Iris, and that didn't happen, so the loop is broken."

"You didn't say that," Iris said.

"You were being nice to me," Cobalt Barry said. "It's time. Unless..."

"No," Barry said. "It'll be okay. I hope you find your way back to them."

"Hey, Slugger."

"Dad." Cobalt Barry let himself fall into Henry; arms wrapped around him tight. "I'm sorry, Dad. I just wanted to go home."

"I know. It's okay, Barry. Everything will be okay."

"Thank you."

Flakes floated away from him. Iris had only seen that once before. Eobard had run when it started.

Barry didn't.

* * *

Caitlin had pulled Iris into one of the labs as soon as they got back to S.T.A.R., laughing, and kissed her again, and again.

She still had a streak of white in her hair.

"I thought I lost you."

"Never," Iris said. "I love you."

"I love you. I love you so much."

"Marry me."

"What?"

"Do you remember we said we'd talk about it after Zoom? So much happened we never did, but I did say one day. Nothing like a near-death experience to remind you not to spend your life putting things off."

"You really want to?"

Iris kissed her.

"I really want to."

"I'm sure Lily can help us with rings. Let's get married. I love you."

"I love you."

"Hey, you two," Linda's voice came from the other side of the door. "Cisco and Tracy did it. Jay's back."

* * *

Jay looked well, considering he'd spent quite a while trapped in the Speed Force. Barry and Wally both hugged him.

"Thanks, kids," he said. "Cobalt?"

"Gone," Barry said. "It's a long story."

"He was an alternate timeline Barry who was trying to undo the changes Eobard made when he time travelled so he could go home, but then Iris and I tried to get him to come stay with us, which broke the time loop he was in, so he faded from existence," Wally said. Jay nodded slowly.

"I guess not that long," Barry said.

"Right," Jay said. "Anything else I missed?"

Iris felt Caitlin's hand in hers and smiled at her.

"We're going to get married," she said.

Linda and Lily cheered, and Linda engulfed them in a hug.

"Dad?" Iris asked.

"My baby girl." He hugged her and Caitlin tight and blinked back a few tears. "You two make each other happy, you happy is all I want."

Wally sped over to join the hug.

"I'm so happy for you, sis," he said.

"Love you too, Walls."

* * *

Barry caught them before they left S.T.A.R. Labs. He was holding something.

"Um," he said. "You haven't got rings."

"It was spur of the moment," Caitlin said. "We can figure it out later."

"Oh," Iris said. She reached for the chain around her neck. There was the locket from Caitlin, but there was also the replicas of her mother's rings Barry had given her after he'd woken up. Iris slid the engagment ring off the chain. "I do have a ring."

"Iris-"

"I love you."

Caitlin slipped the ring onto her finger. They might need to get the size adjusted, but there it was.

"I'll find you one," Caitlin said. Barry held out his hand. A small ring, simple silver with a tiny sapphire was in the palm of his hand. "Barry-"

"That was Nora's," Iris said.

"It was my great-grandmother's," Barry said. "My great-grandfather couldn't afford one. And then war broke out and he signed up. He found this one in London, he bought it, and he carried it around France with him for three years until he got back home to her, and he proposed on the docks."

"Your great-grandfather?" Caitlin asked.

"Step-great-grandfather I guess, but Dad always called him Granddad and he said Grandpa Bartholomew was eleven when they got married, but he still considered Great-Granddad Patrick his father. And Great-Granny Eileen gave Dad the ring the day he introduced her to Mom."

"Barry, are you sure?" Iris asked.

"I don't think it'll suit Eddie. Dad said it's up to me what I do with it, but he'd be honoured, and so would Mom and Great-Granny. I want you to have it."

"Thank you," Caitlin said. She took the ring and slipped it onto Iris' finger. "Thank you, Barry."

"Congratulations, both of you. I'm so happy for you both."

Barry flashed away again.

"Let's go home," Caitlin said.

* * *

It was late when the storm started. Lightning streaked across the sky, yellow, red, blue, purple, pink, this wasn't normal.

The ground was shaking.

"Something's wrong," Caitlin said. A breach opened and Cisco jumped through.

"S.T.A.R. Labs," he said. "Quick."

* * *

S.T.A.R. Labs was shaking. Pieces of the building were falling all around them, and Hartley pulled them back out the door.

"It's not safe," he said.

"Hartley, what's happening?" Iris' dad asked.

"I don't know."

"Guys!" Lily rushed over. Linda was there, Henry, Eddie, Julian, Wally ran over with Laurel, and there was Barry, and the Legends had arrived again-

"We came running as soon as we saw the storm," Amaya said. "What is it?"

"The Speed Force is destabilised without an occupant," Barry said. "I have to go."

"Please," Eddie said. "We can work it out, Barry."

"Maybe we can ask Gideon," Nate said.

"The Time Bureau won't let us near the _Waverider_ ," Sara said.

"We have the Time Vault," Linda said. "We don't have a Gideon, but we have the Time Vault."

"No," Barry said. "This is the only way."

"It's a shame Thawne vanished," Ray said. "Imagine it, the middle of your tearful farewells, and we could have just flown in and thrown him in instead."

"A bit anti-climactic," Barry chuckled. "I know you guys made a mistake, but I can think of no one better to protect history, no matter what the Time Bureau think."

"My dear boy," Martin said. He hugged Barry. "You've come so far."

"There's got to be another way," Cisco said. "Something, Hartley, help me think, there must be something. Central City needs the Flash."

"They've got one." Barry nodded at Wally.

"I won't disappoint you," Wally said.

"You could never. You're going to look so good in red. And you have help. You're all my heroes."

"We'll take care of them," Hartley said, an arm over Lily's shoulders. She had tears in here eyes. Everyone did.

"It's been an honour," Caitlin said.

"Thank you for saving my life," Barry said. "More times than I can count. Good luck wedding planning."

"You're supposed to be there," Iris said. "You're not supposed to leave, we stopped him, Wally and Jay were trapped in nightmares-"

"Barry won't be."

"Nora," Henry said. His voice sounded horse.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Barry said. "That's not her, that's the Speed Force."

"My beautiful boy," the Speed Force said. "It's time to come home."

"Please," Eddie said. "Please."

"This whole time," Iris' dad said. "This whole time you were so focused on saving Iris, you never told us you needed saving too."

"You saved me," Barry said. "You saved me when I was eleven and broken, and you gave me a home. Dad... You two are the best fathers anyone could wish for."

"My boy," Henry said. "My beautiful, incredible boy." Tears fell as Barry hugged him and Iris's dad tight. "Please tell me you've got a way out of this one."

"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm so, so sorry."

"You look after yourself, Slugger."

"Dad, you've been calling me that since I was eleven."

"Listen to your father, Barry."

"I will, Joe. Eddie."

"This isn't fair. This isn't how it's supposed to end."

"This is the only way. I love you. I've got to go."

"Barry," Iris said.

"I love you all so much."

Barry stepped back and took the Speed Force's hand.

He stepped into the opening with her and vanished.


End file.
